New Sandy Hook school opens nearly 4 years after massacre
Visitors will need to pass through a driveway gate, across a moat-like rain garden and past two police officers and a video monitoring system to get inside. Once there, they'll find 86,000 square feet of art-filled space with three courtyards, lots of windows (all bulletproof) and indoor nooks designed to look like treehouses.
The new school, funded by a state grant, has numerous safety features. Its ground floor is elevated, making it harder to see inside classrooms from the outside. It has been landscaped to ensure anyone approaching is visible to those inside.
New Sandy Hook school opens nearly 4 years after massacre
---
The new Sandy Hook elementary school is like a dream. It took four years and a $50 million dollar state grant to rebuild. That's one school.
One of the most difficult problems is in figuring out security solutions, state by state, and how to fund it; taxpayers, state grants, federal grants? The disparity of wealth and resources varies tremendously. Even in the wealthiest states it varies tremendously. Affluent communities with a high real estate tax base can afford to upgrade, rebuild, or expand. Others are left in the dust with no resources in antiquated buildings.
It's a monumental task evaluating the security needs of all public schools across a country as large as America. Urban vs rural needs. And the time it will take to do this and implement solutions is equally daunting.
And what are people to do in the interim? Live in terror? It just not simple.
Certain states have stricter laws, others do not. Certain states will arm the teachers, others will not. Certain places have armed security, others do not. Certain districts can afford to bullet proof, others cannot.
I do believe this issue will become a much larger constituent focus from the very top all the way down to each community, if we do not get some sensible action and accountability solutions soon. Imo.
