Safety measures Salinas school districts are taking ahead of the new school year

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) - It's a bittersweet time for many parents dropping their kids off today.
On Monday, Alisal Union and Salinas Union High school districts began their first day of school.
Some of the parents say they're worried for their child's safety.

"If you came to the school site ten years ago, you would have been able to walk right on at any time of the day. since since that time, we've built we've built fences all the way around," said Jim Koenig, the
Alisal School District Superintendent at the Alisal Union School District, they have been working over the years to ensure everyone's safety.

"We train on a spectrum of of events that go from restricting access to the school, you know, school lock down, which happens from time to time if, for example, a warrant is being served nearby, the the police may tell us," said Koenig.

Koenig recalls the time when a warrant was being served in Salinas that escalated to an officer involved shooting.

Some students were at a field trip close to where the shooting took place.

"Those folks were informed and they shelter in place in the old mayor's house for I think it was an hour," said Koenig.

The Director of Emergency Preparedness at Salinas Union High School District, Tom Woodland says the district is enhancing its safety measures.

"We increased by twofold. Our security and safety teams. So we have numerous security and safety personnel on staff and including that piece, along with just the security piece," said Woodland.

Woodland was not able to tell me how they're specifically enhancing security systems, but he did say they have added more cameras on campus to make sure they don't start the school year how they ended it a few months ago with a stabbing at Salinas High School.

"I can tell you that we have enhanced our security systems and our awareness on the district campuses to ensure we don't have those type of incidents occur again," said Woodland.

Between Alisal Union School District and Salinas Union High School District there are over 23-thousand students that will be walking on campus this year.