Chattooga County Schools will revise severe weather procedures at Chattooga High School after consulting with a Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency security specialist.

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Helie said the school system had considered installing magnetized, automated security doors in the CTAE wing at Chattooga High School. The doors were being considered as an additional layer of protection as the district reviewed where students should shelter during severe weather emergencies.

The issue involved students on the second floor who had previously been directed downstairs during weather emergencies.

Helie said school officials discussed the situation with Kevin Stanfield of GEMA, who assists with safety planning. According to Helie, Stanfield determined that the building’s existing doors and construction are appropriate for severe weather safety and that another layer of security doors is not necessary.

Instead, the district plans to change its severe weather procedures by keeping students away from the school’s octagonal area and moving them into hallways or other suitable interior spaces.

Students may sit in rows along hallway walls, including a second row when necessary, as long as a clear walking path is maintained.

The district plans to work with the Chattooga High School principal to revise the school’s weather drill procedures. The updated plan is expected to identify interior areas without exterior windows and include physical practice of evacuation and shelter routes with students.

The decision not to install additional doors is also expected to save the school system the cost of the proposed installation.