PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School officials hosted a media tour on campus for the first time since the tragedy.
The goal of the tour was to provide members of the media an opportunity to see firsthand what students and teachers will return to next week.
“There’s no question that this first day of school will be profoundly different,” said Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, “and extremely challenging than from any other opening of school that has occurred in its 28-year history.”
Part of the preparations included 34 new modular classrooms installed as the 1200 building, where the shooting occurred, remains closed and will eventually be destroyed.
New security cameras and locks on doors were installed as officials focus on increasing security on the school grounds.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we have the safest school possible,” said Runcie. “We’ve been laser-focused on Stoneman Douglas this summer.”
When the school day begins, students and visitors will only be able to enter through the main office.
Runcie said new security measures will be coming district-wide, but the heaviest presence will be at Stoneman Douglas.
“We’ve doubled the security staff at Stoneman Douglas compared to where we were last year,” he said.
School resource officers met with parents and students in Parkland, Wednesday, to help them feel more at ease.
“Given what happened on Feb. 14, there’s been some anxiety in our community leading up to going back to school,” said Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky. “We wanted people to have the opportunity to talk to their SROs, talk to the PTAs and the volunteers who will be in their schools, and just give them an opportunity to feel more comfortable about going back to school next week.”
The security improvements to Stoneman Douglas and across the district will be expensive, so officials hope residents will vote on a referendum later this month to help offset the costs.
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