Delmar Arts Academy in Fort Lauderdale is working to fortify campus security. NBC6’s Marissa Bagg reports
While students focus on dance classes at Delmar Arts Academy in Fort Lauderdale, administrators work to keep them safe and secure.
In the wake of devastating and deadly gun violence at the elementary school level in Texas and Tennessee over the last year, Delmar’s director wanted to enhance security.
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WATCH HEREFor her, it’s personal.
“It’s been happening so many times, it’s painful. It brings tears because how can we see this happening to our children?” said Adriana Jones, the Executive Director of Delmar Arts Academy.
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Jones called Fort Lauderdale Police to come out to do a campus assessment and give recommendations for how to harden the school. Officers trained teachers and staff about lockdown procedures, and how to talk to kids about safety.
They’ve added other features like coverings on classroom doors made with glass. Where once you wanted to be able to see in the classroom, now you need to be able to hide. And that’s just the start.
“To put a security wall here to divide the lobby from the rest of the school, solid wall floor to ceiling. The idea is if somehow someone managed to breach the front door, they have to breach another one to get to where the kids are. It’s an added level of security,” said Tom Jones, an administrator at Delmar Arts Academy.
Children here are as young as 15 months and go all the way up to third grade. Their parents created a safety committee to weigh in on the improvements and give feedback.
One of those parents is Melissa Ruoff. Her son Roman is two years old.
“I’m really happy with everything, they’ve really taken initiative and I loved that. They’re taking it very seriously,” said Ruoff.
The biggest improvement they want to make is also the most expensive, hiring an armed security guard to roam the campus. That will take some serious fundraising.
Director Ande Arnett says they’re up to the task.
“We have had so much help its so beautiful. To see how we are step by step every little thing we do, we get farther and that’s the most fulfilling thing,” said Arnett.
If you want to help with their fundraising efforts, click this link.
