Any time there's a tragedy like the school shooting in Texas last week, questions always arise about school safety locally.

According to Mike Garren, director of Loudon County schools, they have taken as many safety measures as they can. He said they invested heavily a few years back changing interior locks, adding vestibules where possible and adding extra security measures including video at every school, armed SRO, School Resource Officers. SRO's are Loudon County deputies. At every school, all classroom doors lock from the inside and they do multiple safety drills and training each year. Most schools have the vestibule but they are single, monitored, entry through the front. Visitors can’t get past the office without being cleared .

Visitors are checked through the Raptor system which does background check. We run driver license through it for visitors and it alerts us if there are issues with the person (sex offenders, etc), prints visitor badge and helps track who is in building.

Jeanne Barker, director of Lenoir City schools also reports that Lenoir City schools have take strong safety measures.

We have fully electronic systems on each school that require recognition and buzzing in for anyone coming to the school. We also have full-time Police Department trained SROs who are certified by the state of Tennessee in each building. We have a safety plan that is comprehensive and tied in with Lenoir City Police department. We have periodic drills to keep everyone aware of what our processes are in the event of a breach of security. We have direct radio contact with the LCPD at all times. We have multiple communication devices with administrators in each school and our local police department. 

Obviously, Lenoir City and Loudon County schools take school safety very seriously and have taken many measures to enhance safety.

Sadly, we all know there are deranged, sick people in our society and no matter how strong security measurers are, crazy people intent on causing harm will always find a way.

The greatest safety measure we could have are vigilant students, parents and citizens who if the see, know or hear something that would be a threat to our schools, would alert the proper authorities.