Alex Ormond '26
Since school has started, some of the cafeteria doors, at times, have been unlocked, allowing anyone to get in without scanning their IDs. School security is a growing concern within students, and SCH is planning a redesign to boost reliability and safety.
Joe Flach ’27 pointed out an unfamiliar man walking around the cafeteria, not seeming to have intent or a purpose in the building.“You never know who’s coming in and out of buildings, especially when Door Dashers come in. Seeing someone in the building whose face I don’t recognize makes me puzzled,” said Senior Co-Student Body President Sebastian Small.
On the other hand, when the doors are locked, some students, who have forgotten or lost their IDs, haven’t been able to get into the building, and athletes usually do not carry their ID while coming in and out of the cafeteria after school when they have practice or after a game.
Head of School Mr. Norcini has been working on a solution to the problem. “There’s an app called Verkada that students can download on their phones. This app connects to the school and actually opens the door for you when you get within proximity. The idea of this app is a balance of accessibility, which students want, and security.” In other words, the doors can stay locked, but all students can easily get in with their phone on them, something that is more likely to always be carried.
In recent years especially, school safety has become something that must be taken very seriously, and it is important for SCH to be an environment where students feel protected, and can put their full focus towards their studies. The school is also planning on a redesign of the space between the inn and the cafeteria.
“That space is now a main thoroughfare for student traffic. Part of this plan will include taking the whole space that students are hanging out in, walking back and forth through, and using to acces the buildings, and blocking it off from external traffic like dumpster trucks or delivery people. It gives the trucks enough room to pull off of the street and pick up the dumpsters without entering into the blocked off student zone,” Norcini said.
Along with this walled off area, this plan means potentially getting rid of the Willow Grove entrance, Mr. Norcini explains, “So you really will have to come into the campus to get into the buildings, and it’s not as easy for anyone to come off of Willow Grove Ave and walk right into the campus. By getting rid of that entrance, and potentially putting a security guard office there, that would be a consistent presence in a place where we currently have none.”
His emphasis on this plan, ultimately maximizing safety, shows the school’s overall awareness about the issue, and that they have a set plan that will take place within the next couple of years to fix it.