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SANTA FE, Texas (FOX 26) - Santa Fe ISD board members have voted to install metal detectors on campus before school begins next month. Board officials also approved enforcing a stricter student dress code and a plan to reimburse project expenditures.
Last week, the school board approved four safety measures including installing locks on classroom doors that only open from the inside, adding alarms and panic devices, relocating classrooms at Santa Fe High School and redesigning the front entrance.
Like many other parents in Santa Fe, Rhonda Hart believes the installation of metal detectors at the school will help deter any potential shooting threats in the future. Hart's daughter, 14-year-old Kimberly Vaughn, was one of 10 people killed during the deadly school shooting on May 18.
"Metal detectors are a show of force. It's a physical presence that's there that says 'we are not going to accept this into our class, into our school'. For lack of a better word, lightning doesn't strike twice. But it shouldn't matter. We should've done this a long time ago. There was the threat in February. The school came out on social media the next day and said that was just a practice run, next time's going to be worse," Hart said.
While Hart said the school board's decision to approve four additional safety measures last week was progress, she's worried how quickly the school can implement them before school starts next month.
"I'm looking at the calendar and I'm thinking you have T-minus 35 days until school starts and I hope you can get this done," Hart said.
Backpacks were not listed on the July 16 agenda, but school members said they may be discussing the item.