“I do not enjoy it,” “I don’t like” and “There are better options” can be heard throughout Cordova High School as black steel gates are a new addition to campus this year intending to keep students and staff safe.

The fencing was discussed and approved at the Folsom Cordova Unified School District board meeting in early February 2023. However, the reality of maneuvering around these barriers has proved difficult for some students.

“They are restricting, they limit freedom of movement and they are also very inconvenient for people who come to school early or get dropped off early,” senior Tapasya Shrestha said. “They have to wait outside the gates until someone opens them. It will be worse in the winter with the people freezing outside in the morning.”

According to the board agenda presented at the meeting, the district’s Safety Advisory Committee and Safety Committee had met to develop criteria and a site priority list for fencing at district school sites citing safety concerns for students.  On Aug. 10, 2023, the criteria were presented to the board for feedback. 

Cordova High, which has the highest number of suspensions and chronic absenteeism, was chosen as the first to implement the gates.

“We’re the most vulnerable in terms of how many entry points and exit points,” Cordova High principal Amy Strawn said. “Vista (del Lago High School in Folsom) is up on a hill and doesn’t have a big park right adjacent to it. And not only do we have the park, but now we also have the (American) River and a lot of unhoused coming on campus.”

The gates have led to a decrease in off-campus trips but an increase in tardies, Strawn said. Despite initial community concerns and some logistical issues, the staff are generally satisfied with the increased security and accountability, but some students disagree.

“I believe the purpose they do serve is an issue that can be easily solved in alternative manners, even if it does accomplish the purpose it serves,” senior Ho-Nam Dang said. “It affects the students and their willingness to learn.”

To leave campus during school hours, a student must first be properly checked out through the main office, which will then call for an administrator or school personnel to unlock the gates to allow that person to exit campus. Some students claim that they have been inconvenienced by the gates because of this procedure.

“I feel isolated and I don’t feel safe,” senior Quiel Agito said. “If the threat was inside, I’d be trapped. Locking students outside in the morning feels pointless.”

Mass shootings have become increasingly more common, with incidents escalating nationally during the pandemic. While mass shootings in California decreased early in the pandemic, these attacks that injure or kill at least four people have begun to inch up: in 2023, Californians have experienced a mass shooting every six days according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

“I feel like (the gates) are safe in that they keep other people who are not students out of school grounds, but it’s not the safest option,” senior Tabasom Rahimi said. “Last year students brought weapons to school and the admin didn’t find out about it until the students themselves made threats or someone gave a tip.”

Two years ago, a student made a threat by writing on the bathroom wall. The administration investigated.

“If there ever comes a dangerous situation that requires students and staff to get out of the gates … it’ll create a stampede and more dangers to students,” senior Jasmine Tagubansa said.

It makes the campus more dangerous because as society has learned from previous shootings, the ones who commit the act are typically students who are already on campus. The gates would hinder students’ safety, senior Ali Aljanabi said.

“I feel like the gates create a negative environment for students to learn because it gives the feeling that students are in prison rather than a welcoming, beautiful campus,” Tagubansa said. 

The gates are designed to be less visually intrusive by being placed between buildings rather than around the perimeter.

“It would have been cheaper to do it straight around the perimeter,” Strawn, the Cordova High principal, said. “That creates more of a, I would say, not as aesthetically pleasing look. But ours go in between the buildings, so you may not notice it, but if you drive and see other schools, you might see that difference.”

Schools, like hospitals, can benefit from principles of environmental psychology, where aesthetically pleasing surroundings contribute to mental and physical well-being. Studies show that visually appealing, well-designed spaces with natural elements can improve focus, mood and overall performance. In schools, these environments could enhance students’ ability to concentrate and engage in learning.

“It impacts my motivation to come to school,” Shrestha said. 

Tagubansa echoed that perspective.

“In the grand scheme of things,” she said, “I wish we were in a safer community and environment.”