ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) – After a school year filled with threats, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office says their summer was spent making sure they’re prepared for kids to return to the classroom.

“We’re prepared. We’ve met with school administrators this summer; we’re meeting with principals and teachers as the school opening approaches. And we’re going to keep a close eye on things,” says Sheriff Bobby Guidroz.

After receiving nearly 20 school threats across the parish last school year, Guidroz says his office has kept constant communication with schools, even training school staff to be prepared if an emergency or lockdown occurs.

Guidroz says resource officers and deputies were also allowed to use empty school campuses during the summer months to plan out their approach, should a threat ever come. “We do train in the schools, in our approaches and the security and the call outs and the response time. We work very heard in the preparation for anything that may come up,” says Guidroz.

One of the challenges they face with school security is teachers not locking classroom doors, a challenge Guidroz hopes to end this year. “There’s a state law that says when the class is in session the school door must be locked to the classroom, and some are, but we’re going to do inspections; routine unannounced inspections at the school and in the classrooms,” says the Sheriff.

As the first day of class approaches, Guidroz says the work during the summer has everyone more than ready to take care of their students. “I think our administrators and teachers are ready to go. Students may not be so excited about going to school, but we’re ready. We’ve convinced the administrators and the school staff that this is an important issue and we must comply with the law.”

School starts in St. Landry Parish on August 10.