Quaker Valley Steps Up Security Measures at High School

is introducing a security program that changes the visiting procedures for anyone who enters the building.  

Starting next week, when visitors arrive at the high school in , they’ll have to sign in and exchange their car keys for a visitor's pass.

Principal Andrew Surloff said officials will the procedure over the next 60 days and go from there.

He said the district paid for a security audit with a consulting firm, looking at overall safety practices in various areas. The security procedures are suggestions the consulting firm made, as the district looks at ways to put some of the ideas into practice.

“There was no incident that sort of spawned this,” Surloff said. “These are just some of the suggestions in ways that we could perhaps improve security at the high school.”

Beginning Feb. 9, when visitors arrive at the high school, they’ll sign in and exchange their car keys for a visitor's pass. Once they complete that step, they’ll be escorted to their destination in the building and back to the office once the visit ends.

Visitors will receive their car keys after they have returned their pass.

Surloff said that in the past, visitors signed in and received a sticker to wear. They were escorted to their area, but after the visit, they weren’t required to return the pass.

“When they would leave, they would just tend to sort of exit without signing out necessarily, although most would come through the main office,” he said.

Surloff said the school hopes to get the word out about the new procedures.

“We just wanted to put out some notice to our families so they can expect this to happen, so they are not surprised when they reach the high school office,” he said.