PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The School District of Palm Beach County officially has a new security policy on the books.
School board members on Wednesday night unanimously approved new rules that require classroom doors to be "closed and locked during class and will not be left propped or standing open, except during class change."
Under the new policy, any school district employees that does not follow the rule could face disciplinary action, including termination.
The policy also sets guidelines for how school district employees should use new mobile panic buttons that all have with their ID badge.
A "Staff Alert" should be initiated when there is a medical emergency, physical altercation, visitor disruption, or suspicious activity on campus. In those cases, members of the school's Crisis Intervention Team will respond to the incident.
A "Lockdown" should be initiated in the event of an active shooter or violent offender on campus, or an "imminent threat on School Board property." Law enforcement will respond to those incidents.
SCHOOL SECURITY COVERAGE:
- School District of Palm Beach County considers allowing select school employees to carry guns
- Palm Beach County public school classroom doors must be locked, under new policy
- Palm Beach County School Board approves panic button system
You can read the new school security policy by clicking here.
The Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday also discussed looking into metal detectors as another way to enhance school security. However, board members did not officially vote on that issue.
