Public schools in Washington, D.C., will be required to report the percentage of doors with working locks throughout their buildings before August, according to an emergency proposal passed Tuesday.
Under the bill, which earned unanimous support from the City Council, the public school system must provide a report to the city government with the percentage of doors that have properly working locks in each of its buildings. The legislation would also require schools to provide a report on a number of other things, including the conditions of air conditioning units and heating systems as well as student vaccination statuses for routine immunizations.
DC DRIVERS NO LONGER BLOCKED FROM RENEWING LICENSES OVER UNPAID TICKETS
“All public schools should already have exterior locking doors that fully function to prevent uninvited entry. School facilities should also have interior doors that lock to prevent intruders from entering classrooms without permission,” the proposal reads. “Given recent school shootings from around the country, the District must be confident that its public school facilities have the security infrastructure in place to keep all students safe. This also includes a fire alarm system and security systems which help link alarms to appropriate emergency responders and protect valuable school property during nights and weekends.”
Recent mass shootings renewed calls for school safety, with teachers and parents in Washington noting they knew of several doors in city schools with locks that did not work.
The legislation seeks to ensure district schools are prepared for the full return of in-person classes after several buildings “were not ready” before the start of last academic year, according to the bill.
“I do not want to be at the point where we were last year the week before school starts, where I am doing school tours and we are not ready,” said Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who introduced the bill. “We have to be proactive.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The emergency resolution now heads to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk for her signature, which is required before it can take effect.
There have been increased calls for gun control legislation and heightened school safety measures following a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in May that resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers. The suspect got into the building through a door that could only be locked from the outside and entered a classroom with a faulty lock, according to testimony from public safety officials last month.
