New security order at Norfolk school

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - There is a new security order at W.H. Taylor Elementary in Norfolk.

On Monday, parents were turned away from the back and side doors of the school all day long. They must now go to the front door to pick up their children, and only school employees have access to doors that are not the front doors.

“I had to ring in and then I was told to come to the front door, and I was quite impressed,” said parent Kareem Walters.

Watchful eyes are everywhere, and some parents blame themselves for the lax school security. Last week , a 7-year-old girl told police she was abducted in a stairwell at the school. An adult later saw the girl and brought her back to the school.

“If I see you coming, and I think your kid goes here, then I'll let you in. Many times we put sticks in the door and walk right in,” said Charles Hardy whose child goes to Taylor.

Here is the new arrival and dismissal policy:

• Front door access only
• You must report to main office
• Students are escorted to buses
• Walkers are released to parents/guardians or designated adult

The Norfolk Public School administration saw the same thing WAVY.com saw on Friday when our crew walked into the school unchecked.

“We all saw the same thing. It needed to be tightened up. Entry and dismissal needed to be tightened up right away,” said Norfolk Public Schools spokesperson Elizabeth Mather.

Monday afternoon it looked as though the new security plan was working perfectly. Everyone was going to the front door, teachers patrolled the playground, and police drove by in patrol cars.

Parents went to the front door to pick up their children, and there's no going in the school either. There are kinks in the system, and not everyone was happy on the first day of change.

“I thought it was rather confusing. It's scary. They didn't have it situated, so that you knew what was going on,” said Serene Wilson whose child goes to the school.

Trina Peters is also a parent, and she credits 10 on Your Side for bringing the security issue to the forefront.

“It certainly brought attention to a problem The school has taken the right precautions to make the change, and I think that's great," said Peters.