New security measures at Broken Arrow Schools designed to ensure safety

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The school year is well underway at Broken Arrow Public Schools, and this year security looks a little different district-wide.

A new camera system was put in place to make the buildings more secure. Before you can get in, you check in at the office which has a front row view of who’s at the door. The camera system allows whoever is in the office to see who’s at the door.

“They have to show their ID, my secretaries see it at their desk and are able to identify who they are, what their needs are for our school and our district, and from there be able to allow them entry or alert us as security if we need to assess the situation and help them outside,” said Leighanna Davis, Ernest Childers Middle School Principal.

The doors must be locked from the office. The double doors from the office into the hallways are also locked.

“It’s just an extra layer for our building and our students to remain safe,” Davis said.

Friday was Dodgeball Day at Ernest Childers Middle School. Everyone’s decked out in gold and school spirit. It’s extra safety measures like this and the cameras outside that allow students to safely enjoy activities at school.

“This is why safety and security are important so that our students can be students,” Davis said.

Once inside, visitors have to scan their ID to get a visitors pass.

“They have to scan in their ID through a whole other system and it runs through a national sex offender registry to make sure they’re okay to be around children, and then they get an ID badge and are allowed into our building,” Davis said.

There are cameras outside monitoring things across campus.

“We are constantly walking our building, making sure our entries are secure, doors aren’t propped open. We want our students to feel safe, welcome, take everything out and be able to focus on the learning in the building,” Davis said.

These security enhancements are all thanks to a school bond measure in 2023. The principal says plans are in place to add more cameras inside and outside and get administrators new radios.