By Megan Kelley

Review Writer

After a difficult week for many following the tragedy at Oxford High School that left four dead, Lake Orion Community Schools has all in-person students back in classrooms this week.

Over the past week, LOCS administration have reviewed their own safety and security procedures at each school in the district, collected input from staff, students and community members and taken steps in creating a more secure environment, said LOCS Superintendent Ben Kirby in a communication sent out on Dec. 10.

In addition to the measures that have already been (and will continue to be) in place, the district has made the following adjustments/additions:

• Reviewing threat/risk assessment protocols

• Partnering with an outside expert to conduct a safety assessment of LOCS facilities

• Installing Nightlock barricade devices to provide additional security to the already locked classroom doors in each building. (LOHS installation should be completed before Mondays in-person school day. Middle school and elementary installations will be installed in the coming weeks. Hardware availability will dictate installation timelines.)

• Adding an additional layer of security by utilizing clear backpacks at Lake Orion High School and eliminating backpacks at Learning Options High School

• Keeping middle school backpacks in lockers

• Working with local and national elected officials to obtain additional funds for safety/security enhancements

• All employees should be visibly wearing their LOCS/school identification at all times when in a LOCS facility

• Identifying visitors with a name ID sticker

• Updating building processes and checking each door and window for accessibility and security

• Reviewing and updating the periods that buildings are accessible and assessing procedures and screening for visitors to the building

Kirby also made mention of the difference between code red and code yellow. Kirby noted that a code yellow is a “shelter-in-place distinction”, in most cases, classroom instruction resumes. Code red is a lockdown situation where students and staff would switch into “protective mode”. In a code red situation, LOCS would follow their usual emergency process by sending out information via the School Messenger email/text/phone calls, the communication said.