The front office added a new wall for added protection over the Christmas holiday break. The changes were part of district wide steps towards greater security on campuses.

“It’s a district wide initiative. We just happen to be the first high school they’ve done it with,” Associate Principal Patti Smith said. “They’ve already done it in elementaries and junior highs. The district came to us last spring and said they were looking at doing this in all the schools, and then came back in the fall and said they would be putting it in during the Christmas holidays.”

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Ed Larsen

The front office receptionist's desk before the change.

The wall begins at the receptionist’s desk, extending to the ceiling, and continues to the left, where an open corridor used to be. There is now a door where the open entrance to the corridor was; teachers can use the keypad to get in, but students must be buzzed in.

“When visitors come up to the initial camera where they show their IDs, we get a little information from them about the purpose of their visit,” KISD police officer Christopher Pickering said. “Now, in that small space, we can find out a bit more from them and make sure they really are supposed to be here. When they come in, we don’t always know their purpose in the building, so that new area is where we can really find out more.”

Construction in the front office is not fully complete. Another window at the desk will be added, to make it easier for substitute teachers to check in and out, and smaller details will be implemented, like adding new baseboards and shifting the lights, speakers, and AC systems. The freshman center office also added in the changes and has completed construction.