Alarms, detectors, searches and badges. Another Lexington school bell tolls for safety.

Lafayette High School will soon join other Lexington schools in implementing student ID badges, door alarms and walk-through metal detectors, Fayette County Public Schools officials told families in an email Friday.

The email said students will begin wearing the badges January 3. And, beginning Monday, alarms that have been placed on all doors and will go off if the door is opened. Students may only enter and exit the building at a few specified doors.

District spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said door alarms have been installed at all high schools.

All employee IDs and lanyards have been issued, she said. Student IDs and lanyards are already in use at Frederick Douglass and Paul Laurence Dunbar high schools. Bryan Station, Henry Clay, Tates Creek, and Lafayette will implement their student IDs when students return to school in January, Deffendall said

All principals have been communicating directly with their students and families to ensure that everyone is aware of the security changes well in advance to ensure a smooth transition, Deffendall said.

The email about Lafayette said that school will likely get metal detectors in either February or March. Frederick Douglass and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School were the first Fayette high schools to get walk-through metal detectors. Metal detectors will be implemented next at Tates Creek High School, followed by Bryan Station High School, Lafayette High School and then Henry Clay High School, Deffendall said.

“This is going to be a big change for us and we ask for your flexibility as we implement and revise our plans as needed,” the Lafayette email stated. “Students should anticipate if they arrive at school close to the start of the school day, they will be late for class as they go through the metal detectors and bags are searched.

“Students should begin changing habits about what they bring to school. All bags will be searched by hand. By limiting extra items (pencil pouches, makeup pouches, purses, art kits, lunch boxes, phone chargers, metallic water bottles, toys, clothing with lots of metal, etc.) students will go through the line more quickly.”

As part of the new procedures. students are not permitted to hang out after school unless they are in the building for a supervised activity. The security measures are mandatory, the email said.

This story was originally published December 14, 2018 at 12:31 PM.