GULF SHORES, Ala. (WKRG) — Gulf Shore City Schools purchased a $300,000 door lock system, which will be placed on exterior doors within each school.

Officials with Gulf Shores City Schools said they decided to add the lock system as an extra safety precaution. With the magnetic door lock system, a door is locked automatically once a person enters through it. But in cases when a door stays open, an alert is sent as a warning, and action can be taken to get it locked.

“We have 123 exterior doors here on campus so with that, we’ll know the status of every door, whether it’s closed, open or propped open, and our administrators and police officers will be able to see that as well and in the case of an emergency, they have the ability via app to lock all 123 doors at one time,” said Kevin Corcoran, President of Gulf Shores City Schools Board of Education.

Even if the door is slightly open and no one responds to the notification, Gulf Shores Police Department will be alerted automatically and dispatched.

In a recent board meeting, school officials discussed a total of three safety tools for added security in schools. After recommendations from school resource officers, board members decided the magnetic door lock system was the best choice.

“Well safety is a top priority and Chief Ed Delmore, Gulf Shores Police Department told us he studied every incident in schools for the last 20 years and he said the single biggest neutralizing or deterrent is a uniformed proactive, armed officer on site and we had that already,” said Corcoran.

The magnetic door lock system will be installed in the Fall of 2022.