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Upgrading Security Standards at Delaware Schools

melinda shelton
/
creative commons

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state Senate has given final approval to a bill aimed at protecting Delaware school students and teachers from shootings.

The legislation approved unanimously Thursday requires all new school construction and major renovation projects to include measures to prevent a gunman from wreaking havoc.

The standards include a secured vestibule to be used as the primary entrance to screen visitors, and ballistic-resistant glass or other ballistic-resistant materials in all areas used to screen visitors. Also required are a panic button or intruder alert system, and classroom doors that can be locked on the outside.

The bill also requires that all new school construction plans be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget's Facilities Management Section. That's to ensure compliance with the requirements and design principles aimed at preventing crime.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.