[hattmall]

My high school was Ft. Knox, armed guards, metal detectors, ID must be worn and visible at all times. No backpacks, waist band exposed. Class doors automatically lock when the bell rang, anyone in the hall would be escorted out. No hall passes, no bathroom breaks, cameras everywhere.

Except for 1 week. We had basketball tournaments and activities, movies, pizza parties, free ice cream. Wear whatever you want. No ID enforcement.

That was the week they counted attendance to determine how much funding the school got. They even bussed the "bad" kids in from the satellite campus.

[gausswho]

This is so foreign to me, as a forty-something. Why do we let schools take security theatre to such tragicomedy. It likely breeds more killing than it prevents.

[hattmall]

This wasn't so much theater. Even with all that we still had shootings, just mainly in the parking lot. This was well before Columbine and after every one joked how it wouldn't have happened here because too many students would have returned fire.

All of this security was in response to gangs and general violence of the late 80s / 90s.