Vermilion Parish making public schools safer

Over the past few years, the Vermilion Parish public school system has been beefing up security across all its schools. They’ve implemented several safety measures, including having police officers (school safety officers) on campus, installing Ring Bell cameras at the front entrance, and metal detectors.
This month, the public school district is introducing additional safety measures at a few of its schools.
You will notice several of the schools have erected fencing and access/exit gates. Kaplan High School and Abbeville High School are installing sizeable black iron gates around their campuses.
These gates will run alongside and behind the campuses.
Assistant Superintendent Marc Turner explained the purpose of the gates and other safety features the school system is doing.
“The fences create controlled access and single point of entry,” Turner said. “They help protect students and faculty from external threats, such as unauthorized access by strangers or potential intruders. They also create a physical barrier that can deter unwanted visitors.”
There will be only one entrance for all schools. No visitor will able to access the school through side or rear entrances during school hours. All campuses have a single point of entry at the front of the school.
The plan is for all public schools in Vermilion Parish to have gates surrounding their campuses. Open campuses will be eliminated.
Turner explained that the gates have locking mechanisms that allow individuals to exit freely but prevent an unauthorized individual from entering from the outside.
The safety grant the school board received is paying for the fences and gates.
All campuses are adding a new safety feature called a “foyer.” This foyer is a small room located just inside the school’s front door. It restricts access to the campus and allows entry only to the main office.
For example,if a mother at AHS wants to check out her child, she will stand outside and use the Ring Doorbell to notify the front office someone is at the door. A staff member will respond and ask how they can assist. The mother will then explain that she is there to pick up Johnny and show her driver’s license to verify her identity as his mother. Instead of being allowed to enter the school, the mother will wait outside until Johnny arrives.
Turner explained that when a parent wants to meet with a teacher, they are allowed into the school but must wait in the foyer for an escort. The metal doors in the foyer remain locked and can only be unlocked by front office staff and administrator as needed. Turner also mentioned that, several foyers have already been constructed inside of our campuses and are awaiting the Fire Marshal approval.
“The school board has dedicated funds to create foyers at all of our schools that don’t already have them,” Turner explained. “The foyers are designed as secure vestibules that control access in our schools. Visitors will enter the foyer, check in, and pass through a secondary access point if needed. This process will reinforce control over who enters our schools.”
Another investment to secure the public school system the school board purchased is an app called Raptor Alert Management System.
Turner explained how the system works.
He said that the Raptor Alert Management System will streamline and accelerate emergency response by allowing users to initiate alerts directly to 911, share critical information, and account for all students and staff.
The system is easily accessible on employees’ mobile devices and school computers. Additionally, Raptor includes a visitor management feature that enhances school security by scanning visitors’ driver’s licenses, checking the information against a sex offender database and district ban lists, and alerting school administrators and local police if a match is identified.