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Lake Mary High School principal makes plans to upgrade security on campus

A threat that surfaced at a Central Florida high school 11 days before the Parkland mass shooting had an impact on classes Tuesday.
School officials said more than 1,000 students stayed home from Lake Mary High School because of a threat found on the wall of a girl’s bathroom.
Principal Dr. Mickey Reynolds said she was already looking to overhaul her school's security, long before 17 students were killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.
She said like a lot of schools in Florida, Lake Mary High School is porous; students enter and exit out of several doors on campus.
They have already begun to limit door access. She also would like to increase the height of the fencing surrounding the school. She thinks anyone can scale the fence and gain access.
Reynolds, a Lake Mary High School alumna, said the front lobby of the school hasn't changed since she was a student there, but it's the first change students and parents will see as the school increases security.
"Our plan is, we are putting a reception desk here with a full-time receptionist with the Raptor system that checks people in and alerts people where to go,” she said.
The Raptor system is currently in the main office. While it doesn't do a full background check using visitors’ driver's licenses, it will catch things like sex offenders or those wanted on a felony. 
Under Reynolds’ plan, the raptor system would move to the lobby.
She also wants to increase the number of cameras in the school.
While there are cameras at every entrance, Reynolds said she wants to invest in more cameras near bathrooms  inside the building.
"Because students know there are no cameras in bathrooms, so unfortunately, the ones who want to be up to no good can do that in the bathroom,” she said.
Reynolds said they are also buttoning up the entrances at the school. Doors that were open all day long are now locked. She plans to get an electronic lock system but eventually would like to see a badge system in place for entry.
"You really restrict the flow and access, and I think you can pair it down to certain groups even. I would even like to be able to lock everything down at a moment’s notice,” Reynolds said.
One of the big hurdles for school districts is the cost to upgrade the buildings. 
“I haven't gotten the numbers yet, but I think it's going to be pretty costly to make the improvement. But that's our money in the most important aspect of what we do and that's important,” Reynolds said.
She plans to use her capital outlay budget to make the security improvements. She was budgeted about $20,000 this year and hasn't touched any of it.
"We also earn some money for renting our facilities, and so I will use it to improve our facilities,” she said.
Reynolds said the school safety and security director who works for the Seminole County Sheriff's Office has also pledged to chip in money, but may turn to parents to help fix and add height to the school's perimeter fence.        
Jeff Levkulich

Jeff Levkulich, WFTV.com

Jeff Levkulich joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in June 2015.