The world is constantly evolving in the way it handles security. From airlines, banks and even schools.

This year the Wentzville school board decided it was time to follow suit with the integration of the SafeDefend boxes.

Many students, however, don’t know what the safety boxes are, or even what’s inside them. According to Assistant Principal, Dr. Justin Fears, the safety boxes include tools and supplies that would assist teachers and students in the case of an intruder or an emergency. These items include gel pepper spray, a baton, a window break, a trauma kit, a safety vest, flex cuffs, a high-intensity strobe flashlight, and a whistle.

There are also many additional features that come with the SafeDefend boxes, including a fingerprint scanner.

Over the summer all the staff and faculty members took a class about the SafeDefend boxes, and got their fingerprints scanned into the system.”

The more the teachers got their fingerprints scanned in, the easier it picked them up,” Putnam said.

Another one of the features is the alarm system wired into every single SafeDefend box.

“When the SafeDefend box is activated, it will contact the police department, while also notifying everyone in the building that there is a threat,” Putnam said.

The safety boxes have come with some mixed reviews about what it is and its importance.

“I think it’s more of a positive thing to have it here, rather than having nothing at all,” Josephine Lightle (‘26) said.

“I think it’s cool, but I don’t think it’s going to help much in of an active threat.” Jeremiah Munoz (‘25) said.

“I think the items inside the boxes are great, but probably more than that, I like how it serves as a deterrent,” Fears said. “It also allows both teachers and students to be more proactive, and offencive in case of an attack.”

Overall, the safety boxes mark a big change in the school system.