New Sandy Hook Elementary School to Open 4 Years After Mass Shooting

Four years after one of the worst mass shootings in United States history, the education facility where it took place is finally ready to reopen. And officials promise the security will be first-rate.

The new Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., hosted an open house on Friday, roughly one month before students return to class for the first time since Dec. 14, 2012, when a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 first-graders. The site of the mass shooting was torn down in 2013.

The $50 million, state-funded school will feature security measures “second to none,” says Supt. of Schools Joseph Erardi in the LA Times.

The security features at the 87,000 square foot school include a gate at the driveway entrance that will be monitored by a guard, the front entrance to the school that includes two sets of doors through which visitors must be buzzed to enter, and bulletproof glass windows. Also, the doors to every classroom are made of stainless steel, weigh 350 pounds, and can’t be opened from the outside.

A memorial to remember the victims is also planned for the future.

This quick read was submitted by Dave Lubach, associate editor for Facility Maintenance Decisions. Reach him at dave.lubach@tradepress.com.

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