What Can Schools Do to Boost Security for Students?

A couple of days after , we know that police locally have beefed up patrols around St. Louis County elementary schools.

The news is almost too great to bear, as evidenced by watching President Barack Obama choking up as he talked about the shootings on Friday.

As a parent, I know that like you, I think nothing of sending my child off to school every day. We just cannot wrap our heads around the thought of teachers, who should be explaining the three R's, not getting between our children and a gunman.

In Connecticut, Brenda Lebinski told Newtown Patch that her daughter is safe because "my daughter's teacher is my hero. She locked all the kids in a closet and that saved their lives."

We think our children will be safe in the school when we put them on the bus or drop them off at the curb.

And when something horrible happens, we wonder if the schools should be doing more to protect them.

Is that unfair? Is it unrealistic to expect schools to be able to guard against such a staggering act of violence? Or is there more they should be doing? What are you willing to give up for more security — tax dollars? The convenience to visit school without a security screening?