Are Schools Safer Ten Years After the Columbine Tragedy?

It's hard to grasp, but ten years have already passed since the horrific tragedy at Columbine High School. I remember the day well. It was 1999, and I was the proud parent of 5- and 2-year-old sons, and I was at home when the news broke. Despite the tragic story, I could not tear my eyes away from the unfolding drama. As a mom my heart was heavy, as I realized how many other moms would not see their children alive again. I think the day of the Columbine tragedy will always stay with me, much like 9-11. I'll always remember what I was doing when I heard the terrible news. I also remember going into my son's rooms and pulling my boys close to me. At the time they didn't understand why mommy wanted to be so close.

Flash forward ten years. My sons are now 12 and 14. At the beginning of the next school year, they will both be moving onto new schools, one to high school and my "baby" on to middle school. I can't help but wonder about security in our schools today. As I pondered this issue at great length, I resolved that, yes our schools are more secure ten years after the Columbine tragedy.

Each school in the state of Georgia now has a sign-in and sign-out policy. In my children's schools this policy is strictly enforced. Access doors are always locked, and most of the schools are in the process of installing a keyless entry system that can be accessed only by a teacher, staff person or administrator. Yes, the physical buildings are more secure than ten years ago.

However, the school security issue goes well beyond the physical property. Back in 1999, Columbine school officials and the police department missed major signs. According to CBS news, the two terribly troubled shooters Dylan Kiebold and Eric Harris had been building an arsenal of weapons and making plans to use them. Harris went as far to publish these plans on his personal website. Horrified parents complained to the sheriff's department, who in turn did nothing. A teacher complained about a disturbing paper penned by Keibold to a school counselor and his parents. "The man unloaded one of the pistols across the fronts of the four innocents," Klebold wrote. "The...streetlights caused a visible reflection off of the droplets of blood...I understood his actions." Despite voicing her concerns, school administrators and the sheriff's department did nothing to act upon the teacher's concerns. The Columbine tragedy was a heartless act committed by two deranged individuals. However, no one acted upon the warning signs.

Are things different in our schools ten years later? I think so. Teachers now receive extensive training about detecting warning signs of troubled students. Once a school official is alerted of any deviant behavior, there is an exact and detailed procedure/process that must be followed to the letter. These procedures were put into place after the Columbine tragedy.

This tragedy was heartbreaking for so many parents who lost their children that terrible day. There is simply no way to compensate for their lost. If there was any good to come from the Columbine tragedy, it was the lesson we learned and the changes we made to make our schools safer for our children.

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