Three Gary schools have new security vestibules that require visitors to provide documentation to enter the school.
Officials said this week the vestibules were installed at the Bailly STEM Academy, the Gary Middle School, and the West Side Leadership Academy.
The vestibules are located at each school’s main entrance and visitors are required to show a valid driver’s license or state ID for entrance. A release said the documents are processed through the district’s SafeVisitor system, which logs visitor information, adding a new layer of security.
“Before the vestibules, people entering the building could immediately go to the office or a classroom. Now, visitors are buzzed in by security who can call an administrator or the office to share who is in the building,” said Cliff Caldwell, director of security.
The two remodeled security entrances at West Side cost $200,000 from the district’s capital projects fund, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
The new policies also extend to district employees, who must now check in with security when entering a building, ensuring accurate records in case of emergencies.
“Should any type of emergency arise where evacuation is warranted, we want to make sure that there is an accurate account of who is inside the building,” said Superintendent Yvonne Stokes.
In 2021, then-emergency manager Paige McNulty stopped school advisory board president Robert Buggs in a West Side hallway and asked where he was going. It turned into a heated exchange.
Buggs and another advisory board member said they were investigating complaints from parents who said they were denied entry.
Buggs, then president of the district’s advisory board, said he was handcuffed and detained in a police car.
In a later statement, McNulty said Buggs and James Piggee attempted to enter West Side without following proper protocol for school visits, which includes presentation of Identification to security.
McNulty said Buggs made derogatory and profane remarks toward her and other threatening remarks to staff members in front of students. Buggs denied the allegations and was never charged.
A few weeks later in 2021, the district stepped up security after a random locker search detected unauthorized and unspecified items. A spokeswoman said they fell into the category of weapons, razors and knives.
The search led to a two-day closure of West Side.
The district responded by installing 10 new metal detectors in addition to metal detectors already at the school.
It also purchased search wands to assist in identifying items, including weapons unauthorized on school grounds.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
