School Security Changes In Luverne, MN

School officials in Luverne, Minnesota are tightening up security in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings.

"I believe that parents across the country have always believed that when you send your kids to school they are going to be safe," Luverne school superintendent Gary Fisher said.

There are 1,200 students and 200 employees on the Luverne public school campus each day. Until recently, parents and other visitors were allowed to come and go as needed. Now, only main doors remain unlocked and signs direct all visitors to check in at the office first.

"I think every small community thinks nothing can happen to their school. But what we did was not only the doors, but our staff now have identification badges that they have to wear and that is all staff," Fisher said.

Luverne might be a small community, but Fisher also recognizes there's a major road that runs north and south in town and also on the south side there is Interstate 90. And these roads bring a lot of strangers through town.

"With our location to the highway, we want to make sure we know whose in our building, whose coming to our building, why they're in the building," Fisher said.

While students are adjusting to the changes nicely, Fisher says parents are supportive, but a little slower to adapt.

"We haven't had a lot of negative feedback because I think parents realize that if we want safety there are things that we have to do, and do we like it, no, but the children come first and our employees as well," Fisher said.

The district already has cameras inside and outside of the buildings, but there could be some additional security changes following a meeting with law enforcement and other community members in the next few weeks.