By Emma Rojas ’18

In response to recent shootings across the country, numbers and letters have been installed over every entrance to Staples over February break.

These numbers and letters correspond to different areas of the building, making it easier for law enforcement to identify safe portal exits in case of a lockdown or emergency in the building.  There are over 150 individual doors to the building and 51 that are considered external portals. The numbers begin at the main entrance and continue clockwise around the building.

With close to 20 school shootings in 2018, Staples High School and the Westport School District have increased security protocols.  

Principal James D’Amico addressed these increases in safety.“We did not change many things coming into this school year, but with recent events, we have made some changes or are going to soon.”

Additionally, Staples has since stopped students from leaving bags overnight in common areas, propping external doors and entering campus from non-central entrances if they are late or returning to campus.

Some students have reacted well to these new safety changes. “In hindsight, considering past mass shootings earlier this year and other safety measures we’ve been taking, yeah, they could’ve been put in earlier,” Eden Schumer ’18 said. “But what’s important is that they’re there now. We need to work on change and being proactive now. What happened happened.”