Should Schools Lock Their Doors

A public door must be accessible at all times.

Should schools lock their doors.

The vast majority of school doors can remain locked from the outside while still having a handle release on the inside mainly due to building or fire codes. If this lock function is used staff should carry keys to unlock the door from the outside in case of an unauthorized lockdown. In the end there are much worse things your teen could do then lock their door. They never lock or unlock without a key and since the inside has no keyway key holders must lock the door from the hallway.

See figure a in response to school shooting concerns a new function was designed called a classroom security function door locks with this function can change their locked or unlocked status on both the outside or inside of the classroom but still only through the use of a key. If you teach your kids to lock the door while they are inside their respective bedrooms you are also teaching them to protect themselves. First you comply with title 8 cal osha on emergency egress single action exits meaning you cannot be required to put a key in the lock to unlock the door to escape during a fire. You never know when a possible crime could take place inside your home i e theft or robbery which is why it is better to be always prepared.

The short answer is yes you can lock your classroom doors as long as the following regulations are met. Many schools whose doors have the above capability but do not have. In the past a school would automatically go into lockdown if there was a perceived threat. While difficult to shoulder the feeling of being excluded from their life it is essential for your teen to develop some sort of individuality.

There s a myth out there that schools should be on lockdown to prevent an intruder from holding the kiddies hostage and or murdering them in the hallways with some sort of automatic weapon. At houston public schools once headed by new city. A nationwide evaluation of the policy has now turned to evacuation as a better solution in some circumstances than a lockdown thomas said. There s no other explanation that i can find for why school districts are locking their doors during school hours.

Students would be kept in classrooms away from doors and windows. Public doors are designed based on the national fire protection association nfpa codes and standards set by the americans with disabilities act ada.