Due to recent concerns for student safety at EHS, bag searches have gone into effect at every main entrance of the school, resulting in long lines of students waiting to get inside the school. 

This process is only temporary until large metal detectors are installed in mid-November. Although it only takes a minute to be cleared, searching every student that enters the school can become time-consuming. On the first day of searching, Oct. 21, the checks were not completed until almost the end of the first period of the school day. Many students missed most of their first period. The EHS admin has been trying to mitigate this congestion by increasing the staff that checks bags in order to streamline the process.

EHS Principal Sherry Hill said, “What we’ve done to try to improve the situation from Friday to now, is we have added more people…The more people you have the faster it goes.” The addition of staff has helped speed up the checking process. There have also been other measures taken to make the school safer for students. “We have reminded staff that we want all doors locked. Not only exterior doors but classroom doors,” said Hill.

This process started on Oct. 21 due to another firearm being found on a student on Oct. 20. In an official statement made on Oct. 20 by the El Dorado School District Superintendent Jim Tucker, he explained the situation that resulted in the bag checking. “Today, the El Dorado High School Administration became aware of a potential weapon on campus. The administration and school resource officer initiated an investigation that resulted in a student being taken into custody by the El Dorado Police Department,” he said.

Because of the recent events on Oct. 20, bag checking will be in effect until more permanent security devices are installed in mid-November. There has been discussion of installing metal detectors for years because of the rise of gun violence and shootings in schools in America. “This process is leading up to a permanent detection system at each entrance of schools in the district,” said Hill.

These metal detectors will drastically decrease the time needed for students to enter the school and also achieve the same level of safety and security for EHS students and faculty. Hill also stated, “The main thing we want is safety, security, and for everyone to go home at the end of the day.”