I can't believe something like this could happen.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/04/04/1518910-sun.html

By Heaventree on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 07:38 am:

Personally I think schools should be locked. We went to our local Montessori for an open house and had to be buzzed in. There was a security guard at the door.

By Colette on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 07:47 am:

That's terrible. At my school (PreK-2nd) all of the classrooms have their own bathrooms and every employee has to wear a badge and every volunteer has to have a background check and wear a visitor badge. All doors, except the main entrance (right in front of the office) are locked on the outside (but can be opened on the inside). I hope the little girl will be ok.

By Cocoabutter on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 08:44 am:

Every door in my son's school is always locked except for the one by the office. There is a window so any staff in the office can see who comes in.

This is such a tragedy. I hope they get him.

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 09:28 am:

AWFUL! Our school district is fairly strict about this. All doors are locked during the day and anyone entering needs to buzz in and sign in at the office.

This reminds me of something I experienced when I was teaching Kindergarten. A non custodial father snuck into the building and attempted to abduct his son, who was one of my students. OMGosh, I get shivers just thinking about it! Immediately after that incident all doors were locked and everyone had to be buzzed in. I was very glad about that, but it took me a long time to get over the fear of it happening again.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 10:22 am:

Doors are locked at our schools, too, but no one needs to be buzzed in. We open doors at lunchtime, because otherwise it would be hard to get back in, but after lunch, they are locked again. (at the school where I work.)

By Tink on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 10:33 am:

That's truly an awful thing. I can't imagine the fear that poor girl must have felt.

Our school is also completely locked down, except for the door that leads directly into the front office. I guess I don't think that's enough. What if it is someone pretending to be a parent and they follow all the regulations? We don't have anyone guarding the washrooms or a constant eye on every adult that enters the school building. It bothers me that *I* can think of a way to get away with this and I wouldn't harm a child. What would the "bad guys" be able to get away with?

By Colette on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 10:40 am:

If the school office personnel does not know for sure if someone is a parent they should be asking for ID. I cannot let a child leave with anyone unless I have written permission from a parent/guardian. Every child at our school has a list of people they may leave with. ID has to be shown and the list has to be checked. I get po'd parents all the time, who may be stuck in traffic and so their neighbor - trying to do a good thing - tries to take their kid at the end of the day and I have to stop it - sometimes physically stop it. But I'd rather do that and have po'd parents then let a child leave once with someone they are not supposed to.

By Mommyof5 on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 11:06 am:

This very same thing happened here at the beginning of the school year this year. Now everydoor that leads into the school is locked except for the one that opens into the school office.

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 11:18 am:

Though mine are now out of school, I will say that our schools in my Parish have a very strict policy - anyone who enters the school has to sign in with a reason for being there.

No one can take a child from school without first being on the approved list from the custodial parent, showing photo ID and signing the child out.

The middle schools and high schools have police on campus every day school is in session. Not sure about the elementary schools, but they may as well. I don't know if the doors are locked since mine are out now, but in the past, there was only one way in and out during the school day, and that was the main door right by the office, so there was pretty much no way someone could just slip in.

By Sandysmom on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 12:42 pm:

That is so infuriating. That poor little girl and her family. A friend of mine had an incident like that but it was at a skating rink. Her dd was 10 and she asked if she could go to the bathroom and my friend said yes and it was the first time she let her dd go to the bathroom alone in public. And there was a pervert in that bathroom waiting for any unsuspecting little girl. What is this world coming to?

At my dd's school, you have to sign in at the office before you go anywhere else, but I know they don't pay attention. There is so much stuff taped on the windows of that office, anyone could just sneak by. Something should be done.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 02:52 pm:

It's unfortunate but we are not allowed to have thd doors locked during the day. The very first principal I ever had tried to do this and go tinto BIG trouble. I agree that locking doors is a NECESSITY in this day and age. Since I've resigned, they've gone to security badges for all staff and faculty.

You're supposed to sign-in at the office and get a visitor's badge, but there's no one just standing there watching the door. It would be easy to come in and not be noticed until you were already down a hallway, and even then maybe nothing.

It's like we need locked gates around our schools, metal detectors at the doors so we can keep weapons out, and search dogs for drugs in backpacks. That's an awful way to look at it, but true I think.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 06:43 pm:

Our school doors are locked all day with the exception of the beginning of school and dismissal. We have to ring the buzzer to get in (they ask who you are and why you are there...unless you go there every week like i do, then they know you and just let you in). Then you have to sign a visitors book and say what time you arrived and left and also the reason for you being there.

If the office people see someone they don't know, or if someone looks kind of lost in the hall, they approach the person and ask them if they can help them.

I hope that little girl is going to be o.k.