Grand Strand, Pee Dee school districts look to implement new safety measures

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - While school districts across the Grand Strand and Pee Dee have several safety protocols in place, a federal study is raising concerns about another way to keep students safe: locking doors.

According to a survey by the National Center on Education Statistics, one in four public schools lacks classroom doors that can be locked from the inside. This means teachers have to go into the hallway to restrict access to their classrooms in case of a threat or emergency.

As the new school year approaches, local school districts say they are being proactive and implementing new safety protocols.

Leon Sturkey, Director of Operations for the Marion County School District, is just one of many officials working to keep students and faculty safe.

“We’re not closing the door on anything,” he said. “Everything that we can possibly do in order to reassure our parents, reassure our staff and reassure our students.”

Some other districts, such as Florence School District One, have taken extra steps such as installing metal detectors. Sturkey said his district is also working to bring those metal detectors onto campuses in Marion County.

“At the end of the day, we just want to be as safe as possible,” he said. “If that means we have to have those meetings or have those conversations, then I’m okay with that.”

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