Students and teachers arriving to school on Thursday, Jan. 7 were in for a surprise. The new silver gates that were put up at the end of last year were locked, leaving teachers and students to adjust to the new system with no guidance and no heads up.

“The gates were only put up for the day because Officer James O’Sullivan [Officer O] was not here to regulate who was coming on campus,” Secretary Lynn Berryman said. “It was also our opportunity to see how it will run when we get it up officially.”

Though the gate being locked was just temporary, the Palm Beach County School District already has plans for Dreyfoos to have a more secure future. Soon, students and teachers will have to swipe a card, to enter or exit campus. This allows guidance to know who is coming in or going out. Visitors will have to buzz into the office to be granted access, whereas in the past they would just walk in. The gates also have cameras in order to make sure guidance can see everyone who is trying to enter the building.

“Is [the system] fool-proof? I don’t think so,” Assistant Principal George Miller said. “[Students] can still climb fences, or stay outside of school at night to try and get in. [It’s] better than having nothing. It is a little inconvenient, yes, but things have changed. This is the world that we live in.”