Last December’s deadly shooting in Newtown, Conn., where 20 students and six adults were killed, began when the heavily armed assailant made short work of getting inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Districts across the region took notice, and many schools are opening this week with a renewed emphasis on security.
Most administrators have focused on infrastructure, as in the Westchester County town of Valhalla, where the district spent about $400,000 on improved phone systems, more security cameras and buzzers to admit visitors.
Some districts have deployed armed security, and others will crack down on unannounced school visitors.