As the nation mourns the deaths of 33 college students at Virginia Tech, school security is in the back of everyone’s minds.

The tragedy back east comes as a new high school is under construction in Coupeville and design work continues on a major renovation of Oak Harbor High School.

Gary Goltz, construction supervisor for both the Oak Harbor and Coupeville school districts, said security will be improved at both schools by reducing the number of entrances.

At the future Coupeville High School, which is scheduled to open this fall, there will be a single main entrance everyone will have to go through. That way people entering the high school will be visible to administrators and staff, Goltz said.

Other doorways entering into the school will remain locked from the inside. That way those doors will allow for an exit in an emergency situation while remaining locked to prevent people from entering the building.

Goltz added that video cameras will be installed throughout the Coupeville building as well.

There are several “break out” spaces incorporated into the new building. While the spaces provide a spot for students to study unsupervised, there are windows that allow teachers in adjacent classrooms to glance into the areas.

Superintendent Bill Myhr said that the size of the new building makes security a difficult problem.

“All you can do is be diligent about preparing,” Myhr said. Students and staff practice lockdowns and emergency drills.

The Coupeville Town Marshal’s office has information about the interior of local schools, which would come in handy if an emergency situation arises.

While the new Coupeville High School nears completion, plans to renovate Oak Harbor High School continue to develop.

Goltz said plans call for limiting the number of entrances into the school which is currently something of a security nightmare. There are approximately 90 different entrances scattered throughout the campus. Plans call for reducing that number by two-thirds as the number of buildings on the campus is reduced, Goltz said.

He added that designers haven’t had a nuanced discussion about the security features in the renovated high school yet. There will be a meeting this Friday to begin discussions.

While designers and builders work to improve security at local schools, Myhr said the key to safe schools lies with the students. When they hear of a potentially dangerous situation, they should notify either a parent or staff.

“The most important preventative measure a school has is the student body,” Myhr said.