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You now have to press a call box if you are a visitor entering the Bellwood-Antis High School, just like is done at Myers Elementary.

With the call box you need to press the button and the greeter will then ask you who you are and your reason for coming to the school. For example, if your child is sick or has an early excuse or if you need the go to the office, you would need to now go through the new greeting procedures.

Once you are admitted into the building, you will need to proceed through another set of locked doors before entering the lobby. The second set of doors can only be opened by the greeter.

“The new greeters station was enforced to further school security,” explained Tom Kovac, Assistant Supervisor of Support Services for the Bellwood-Antis School District. “With a double door system it eliminates several week points. First, we now have a waiting area for people picking up students that is indoors yet completely secured from the students. Second, it now prevents someone from just walking in a door that someone is exiting from because there is still a second set of doors that would need to be accessed. Finally, it moved the greeter further from the first access point and allowed voice communication via the air phone, without unlocking any doors. In the past the greeter would have to allow any visitor inside the school to speak with them. Now a greeter can monitor and speak with any visitor to ensure they are allowed on school property and that they have business to be here without putting themselves in harm’s way.”

Kovac said several other measures went along with the changes at the entrance that will assure safety for the students and faculty at B-A.

“We also implemented new procedures to help with building security,” he said. “If a parent were to bring, let’s say, gym clothes that a student forgot, instead of bringing them into the school the greeter will simply unlock the first set of doors and have the parent leave the clothes on the table. Ttherefore the parent never fully enters the school. Another policy change is that no visitor is allowed within the district unless an appointment has been scheduled and the greeter notified of the visit. This policy prevents false access and helps our district function more efficiently by not stopping staff work activities to deal with an unannounced visitor.”

High School Assistant Principal Mrs. Adams said the changes are a sign of the times.

“I think it’s sad that we live in an age where this has to happen. But I get that we have to do it,” she said.