Delbarton students returned to school after winter break to find each door around campus locked. During the break, Mr. Carrell and staff implemented the “ single point of entry ID system,” which blocks strangers from entering the school and forces every entrant to scan their Delbarton ID in order to access the building. This new system is another significant step to improving the safety measures at Delbarton, which have completely overhauled in the past few years. Improvements to security were first seen when armed guards were hired to protect the students and faculty. Because the school has numerous buildings full of students at any given time, the new ID system is critical, especially since these buildings were previously unsecured. Currently, Delbarton is a “one access point” school, which means that guests can only enter the building through the main Trinity Hall doors, and thus, they have to confirm their visit with Ms. Petrolino. 

After speaking with the Head of Security, Mr. Scott Carrell, about the new measures, I found that Delbarton was making improvements even before the ID cards. Over the summer, new faculty had to complete interviews and background checks as a part of “Praesidium”, a nationwide security program meant to improve the safety of students. In addition, teachers were required to take online courses on school safety and learned how to act in emergency situations. I then asked Mr. Carrell if he had any future plans to build on the measures already in place, to which he replied that his next focus was improving the lockdown procedure.

Despite an already tremendous security protocol, Mr. Carrel and his team are continuing to strengthen Delbarton’s safety measures. After recent shooting-related tragedies at schools throughout America, it is reassuring to know that we have a strong security team and trained faculty protecting us. We thank Mr. Carell and the rest of his team for their tremendous effort in keeping our school safe!