With gun control far from sight, schools redesign for student safety
A metal detector beeped, and Pastor Julián Moreno was turned away from his grandson's school field day in February – until he put his orange pocket knife back in his truck.
At first, he found it aggravating.
"But then as I was walking back, I remembered what happened at Robb and it kind of sunk in," said Moreno, who lost his great granddaughter, Lexi Rubio, in the shooting in Uvalde, Texas last May. "They were just trying to do a better job."
Many schools in America, like the one Moreno's grandson attends, have installed metal detectors and fortified their entrances in response to the threat of school shootings.
But others, like Fruitport High School in Michigan, have opted to completely redesign their buildings' architecture – spending $48 million to incorporate curved hallways and little nooks for students to hide in, among other safety-driven upgrades.
"Architectural designs will be very important. And hopefully they will focus on really getting better security for schools and students and children," Moreno said, hoping districts "really know and take into consideration the pain in people's lives right now."
Decades in the making: how schools have changed since the 1970s
Over the
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days