The CHS school resource officers (SROs) are discussing the best ways to target school safety concerns such as students leaving school early without permission. They are also in the process of expanding an anti-drug program that teaches students about the consequences of teenage drug use.

Christopher Glander, Freshman Center Safety Administrator and Assistant Principal, said his biggest concerns regarding school safety include keeping outside students away from CHS during school hours and limiting the points of entry to keep intruders out.

“I think the things that concern us the most are (the) before school and, certainly, after school. There are multiple points of entry to our school, so one of the things we’ve been doing for several years is making sure we have eyes on all points of entry into the school,” Glander said. “We have people with radios that can communicate with us and let us know if anything or anyone suspicious is entering the building. We’ve also reinforced the importance of passes to leave class, so students are always accounted for.”

Sophomore Manvi Musunuru said she believes the policies at school are effective at keeping students in class, but can sometimes be annoying.

“Although I understand passes are necessary to monitor who goes in and out of the building, I think the new hallway passes are inconvenient and people don’t even check them, which I don’t feel is the most effective way to stop students from leaving class,” said Musunuru.

Beyond the problem with regulating who comes and leaves CHS, Blake Lytle, Master Patrol Officer and SRO, said he is concerned about a wide variety of safety issues.

“There are so many safety concerns we have, everything from severe weather, a fire, to an active assailant. Mental health also is a major piece we’re concerned about. I think they’re all equally important. But to address these issues and find solutions, we are constantly reevaluating how to improve safety,” Lytle said. “We have things like building audits, where we go through, run through all the procedures, and make sure everything runs smoothly in case of emergency. Constantly broadening our knowledge of the building and learning new strategies to, like, better protect students is usually our most effective approach.”