File Photo - Active Shooter Drill at Henley High School. (Brian Gailey)

In light of the tragic events this week in Parkland, Fla., the Klamath County School District wants to assure students, families and staff, safety remains a No. 1 priority for our schools.

This school year the district is installing new door locking systems at nine Klamath County School District buildings. This is an ongoing process that began before this week’s school shooting.

These new systems lock the front door of the school. To enter, a visitor must buzz the school’s front office. The office will observe the visitor via a video link, and determine if it is safe to allow that person inside.

The first of these systems was installed at Malin Elementary more than a year ago. Last week a system was installed at Gearhart Elementary. This week it is being installed at Chiloquin Elementary and Henley Middle School is set to install next week. Other schools where the system will be installed include: Brixner Junior High, Falcon Heights Academy, Ferguson Elementary, Keno Elementary, Merrill Elementary, Shasta Elementary and Stearns Elementary.

Additionally, the Klamath County School District worked with local law enforcement and first responders on a comprehensive active shooter drill at Henley High School last fall. More than 500 KCSD staff participated, along with the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, Klamath County Fire District No. 1, Klamath Falls Police Department, Oregon State Police and other first responders in the Basin.

Read a full press release about that event by clicking here. View the a Klamath Falls News Photo Story on the Active Shooter Drill here.

Press release by Samantha Tipler, Klamath County School District.