HC Principal Paul Little outlines new safety plan

By William Begley and Nina Rennard

Beginning next semester, students will be required to have an ID badge with them at all times during the school day and other school affiliated events. The badges will be put into effect beginning second semester. HC Principal Paul Little plans to inform students about the new safety procedures.

“Everything is going to be provided,” Little said. “The only cost that will occur for a student is if they lose it; then it’s one dollar.”

These badges are not only a safety precaution but will also have an array of other features.

“We’ve tried to make [the badges] functional for different parts of the school,” Little said. “The plan is that you will be able to check out books with it, to use it in the cafeteria, [and other activities.] We want it to be put into more use than just looking to see if it is a Henry Clay student.”

Metal detectors will also be put into place soon, following the lead of Paul Laurence Dunbar  High School and Frederick Douglass.

“It’s looking like [the metal detectors] may not [arrive] in March, because there is a delay in the district. Nationwide, there is a big surge in school districts going with metal detectors, so there is a backlog of metal detector orders and installation.”

As many students have noticed, most doors leading to the outside will be turned into emergency exits where an alarm will sound if opened.

“They are going to be putting alarms on pretty much the majority of all of the doors that lead outside,” Little said. “Exit doors will sound an alarm when somebody goes out and in when somebody is not supposed to.”

Little, a parent, has confidence in what other school districts are doing to ensure student safety even without passes or metal detectors.

“I’m a parent, I have four children that go to four different locations everyday,” Little said. “None of those locations have metal detectors, and none of those locations require an ID badge and I feel comfortable with my kids going there.”