Area resident Michael Jelineo questions why Vancouver Public Schools won’t spend the money needed to provide better locking devices on doors
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
Do you know if the door to your child’s classroom(s) locks from the inside? When we hear schools are on a lock down, don’t we assume that the kids are inside their classrooms and the doors have been locked from the inside?
Recently the Board of Directors of Vancouver Public Schools (VPS) were asked, how many classroom doors lock from the inside? It was revealed that 33 percent of the doors at one school could lock from the inside. Why is it not 100 percent?
Vancouver School District thinks spending $1.50 on a magnet that you stick in the door jamb is the solution. If door handles were replaced with locking devices the cost could be $200-$1500 per door. These new handles would allow doors to be locked from both the inside and outside.
VPS spent thousands of dollars on new wheeled health carts last year, but they won’t spend thousands on door locks.
Michael Jelineo
Vancouver
Also read:
- Opinion: TriMet Better Red cost allocation revealed
John Ley examines TriMet’s $204 million Better Red project, showing most of the spending wasn’t on vehicles or tracks—raising questions about cost transparency and regional funding. - Letter: ‘This administration’s trade stance is bold, but it’s producing results’Camas resident Anna Miller argues that recent federal revenue gains show President Trump’s tariff policies are reshaping the nation’s fiscal outlook.
- Opinion: In-n-Out Burger is so much more than fast food for so many of us
Paul Valencia shares why In-n-Out Burger means more than just fast food for countless fans as Ridgefield nears its grand opening and Vancouver’s location begins construction. - Opinion: Washington’s June 2025 budget revisions – revenue up spending up moreMark Harmsworth of the Washington Policy Center critiques the state’s latest budget revisions, warning that new taxes—not organic growth—are driving revenue. He calls for fiscal restraint and long-term reform.
- Opinion: Pedestrian control signalsDoug Dahl explains Washington state law regarding crosswalks and pedestrian signals, offering safety insights and common misunderstandings about traffic control at intersection
Excellent point! They could all be accessible from the outside with a master key, so there is no reason not to have the added safety measure.