For the new school year, CESJDS received the maximum amount of money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which annually allocates money to schools and organizations. JDS applies for the grant every year, and this year was the third time in the past six years the school has received it.

Over the summer, the school used the $75,000 grant to make significant changes to its security practices at both the Upper and Lower School campuses. The Security Task Force, a group of school officials and security professionals from the community, has been working to improve the school security. According to Chair of the Security Task Force Ayala Nuriely, JDS is upgrading security on the buildings by installing more cameras and upgrading the Aiphone system, which gives the security guards greater control over who enters the building through the side and back doors. New bulletproof glass film was installed, which took up about 55 to 60 percent of the grant.

“[The security changes] definitely do represent our efforts, constantly trying to make security best at our school,” Nuriely said.

Security buttons on the entrances to the school are an addition to the existing Aiphone system. Through the system, the school’s security guards are able to control access to all of the exterior doors through the system and see who is outside of the building and trying to get in.

Additionally, a rotation of three Montgomery County police officers are also stationed at the Upper School and Lower School for a few select number of days each week during arrival and dismissal times. The addition of the police officers was recommended by JDS’ Security Task Force.

Although there is no increased security risk or threat specifically at JDS this year, the Security Task Force thought it would be beneficial to have an officer on each campus. The police presence is unrelated to the grant.

“[We] want to be prepared for the worst, and make sure [security guards] had everything they needed to make sure everyone stays safe,” security guard Jamal Hall said.

Like Hall, sophomore Maya Cohen-Shields said she believes that the increased security helps students feel safe.

“I think it’s important that the students feel safe because of everything that is going on in the world,” Cohen-Shields said. “Even if [the security] is not all completely necessary, it may seem overdone in the long run, they are being cautious just in case, and it’s good for the students to feel safe.”

Although some students see the importance in the increased safety, other students such as senior Yoni Weiner-Tobin find parts of the new security policy inconvenient.

“I think that it’s important to keep a balance between our security but also our freedom,” Weiner-Tobin said. “Especially considering the fact that school is like another home for students because we spend so much time here, and it’s a little bit intrusive and even uncomfortable having a police officer standing guard and all of these restrictions on entry and exit.”

While some may find the security measures to be excessive, Hall believes that all measures taken are necessary to make sure that the school is as safe as possible.

“I just think security throughout everything is one of the main important things you need to focus on and tackle, as far as keeping the kids and keeping the staff and everyone inside of the school safe,” Hall said.