Sheesh. Posts like yours are exactly why I thought a little background was in order. Yes, Sidwell has light security (apart from the added presence of the Secret Service due to the Obama girls). So what? There are already armed police officers in most DC public high schools, although their concern is with gangs, drugs, and assaults by students on students and teachers. Armed intruders are not the problem, except as a subset of gang and drug issues. But DC public schools are not open campuses.
Newtown has changed the threat assessment. I personally think it would be an overreaction to add armed security to every kindergarten and elementary school in America, but your mileage may differ. The light security at a place like Sidwell, I imagine, has to do primarily with the fact that it is an expansive campus with students moving between buildings, as opposed to a unitary school building where visitors sign in at the front desk. On a multi-building campus in an urban area, you want a checkpoint at the gate so strangers aren’t wandering the grounds.
As for Sidwell as a bastion of the liberal elite: Sidwell is an outstanding school by anyone’s measure, with a price tag to match. We know several Sidwell families through church and soccer. They are not all democrats and the ones we know are not wealthy. They are upper middle class, dual income folks who are making a serious financial sacrifice to buy up in their kids schooling. We are in the Catholic system which is a little less expensive, but it’s still stiff. I think of it as just having started paying college tuition a few years early.
“Yes, Sidwell has light security (apart from the added presence of the Secret Service due to the Obama girls). So what? “ - Sphinx
The left ridiculed the NRA for proposing a light armed presence at public schools. Absolutely ridiculed the NRA for proposing what is routine at the the private schools that the liberal elites use.
It (the Alinksi ridicule) was on at least 10 national “news” shows after the proposal by the NRA. Then, when the hypocrisy of the left is pointed out - Liberals claim ‘how dare you.’
And you support them, the liberals, in their smears with ‘so what if they want armed guards - there really aren’t that many, and they pay for them.’ (paraphrased)
Do you even get what is going on here?
You can use a simple concept that works in most instances. It’s called and Entry Control Point. Funnel all visitors to one single point of entry. All you need is a Rent-A-Cop to check IDs and sound the alarm. They will be the first ones to get popped but that is an occupational hazard.
A desk, a uniform, a big panic button and some signs are all you need.