NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Pasco County Schools is stepping up security features, and Wendall Krinn Technical High School is the first in the district to receive new key cards for every student.

The key cards will give students access to the main building in the school, and allow administrators to better track entry and exit points.

What You Need To Know

  •  Pasco County Schools is adding key card entry points at schools

  •  Every student will eventually received their own key card

  •  The first system is installed at Wendall Krinn Technical High School

Officials say it’s the future of Pasco County Schools — student ID cards doubling as key cards.

“Now, these badges will work off this reader, and they can click their badge on there. It’ll turn green, the door will unlock, and they can get in. So the safety is always going to be here, a random person couldn’t just enter our campus any time,” said Principal Chris Dunning.

Dunning says before installing this new key card lock system this week, they would have to physically unlock the door for students with a key.  

“We would have to have someone stationed every period, every period to get in here,” Dunning said. Senior Dustin Falkner says it can be very time-consuming when he’s trying to get to class.  

“I have four classes outside, on this side and the other side, so every day I’ll come in and need to go to the office, to the clinic, go to the bathroom, and I can’t. I have to wait until I can get a key,” said Falkner.

In addition to saving class time, the new locks also add an extra layer of security, giving administrators control over who’s allowed in, and when, as well as locking down the campus with essentially the push of a button.

“Students have access, but anybody else would not have access to the main parts of our campus because all the classroom doors are still locked. But once they come into this area, they have access to the cafeteria, to the media center to all those areas so we don’t want someone to just randomly walk in to our campuses,” said Dunning.

And while Dunning used to remind students waiting to be let in, “Safety isn’t always convenient," now, it just might be.

Dunning says the entire Pasco County School District is moving towards the key card system. There are two entry points with key cards at Wendall Krinn Technical High School.