On Thursday, Oct. 9, two unauthorized individuals entered a classroom at Encinal High School and assaulted a student, causing a shelter-in-place and a response from the Alameda Police Department. The intruders gained access to campus by a student opening a gate door. The incident raised concerns among both students and staff.
“I definitely feel a little bit more unsafe now that I know that people are able to barge in because they know people at our school,” junior Kaylee Garcia said. “I feel like it’s kind of unfair to [Encinal students].”
Teacher Jessica Kerber described one of the intruders as “a student that used to go here” who entered during instructional time and assaulted a student.
Shortly after the incident, Principal Kirstin Snyder issued a message to families via ParentSquare.
“As a reminder, during a shelter-in-place, teaching and learning continue as usual,” Snyder said. “The primary adjustment is that student movement across campus is temporarily limited to maintain a safe and orderly environment. We understand that events like this can be concerning, and we greatly appreciate your trust and support as we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students.”
In spring 2025, gates were installed around most of the campus, and many openings, especially in the front quad, were closed off. The Alameda Unified School District also installed new gates at Alameda High School, reflecting a broader trend of heightened safety precautions amid rising school-based violence nationwide. Despite these measures, security breaches can still occur.
“I still think we’re kind of in flux in terms of our security,” campus security and student support officer William Lyons said. “There are always more ways than one to be secure as a campus, but I also do think we do a great job of putting out little fires and making sure they don’t turn into big fires.”
Campus policy states that students and staff should avoid letting anyone in and that all visitors must enter through the main office.
To complicate matters, students admit they do not use the gate correctly. In a recent poll, 86% of Encinal students said they have held gates open for others.
Students also expressed mixed feelings about how much protection the gates actually offer.
“It doesn’t really protect us, or not as much as it should,” senior Marion Winslow said. “[The gates] create a false sense of security,” added junior Ava Estilaei.
However, others in the community acknowledge the district’s attempt to increase security.
“It seems the goal was to close and secure the campus from strangers being able to walk on freely. To me, it seemed like a good idea,” said Jessica Daly, mother of an Encinal senior.
It is uncommon for fights to break out inside classrooms, which added to the shock of the Oct. 9 incident.
“I was definitely scared,” freshman Dashel Footman, who witnessed the assault, said. “That could just happen to anybody. You know, who’s to say it won’t happen to me? All I knew in the moment was that I didn’t recognize either one of [the attackers]. Shortly after [the incident], I found out they came from a different school.”
District policy requires teachers to keep their classroom doors locked to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering.
“It’s district policy that classrooms are supposed to be locked during the school day, mostly for student safety,” said Navigating Life teacher Mr. Locke. “There’s a lot that I don’t know about the [shelter-in-place] but I do think that in light of the incident, it is wise and good for us to keep students safe in that way.”
Many in the Encinal community said the incident was a wake-up call.
“There’s this illusion of security created by putting in gates or closing certain doors,” Ms. Kerber said. “People can still get in if they want to.”
At the end of the day, school is a place for education. There is an overlying danger of sending students to school if the campus isn’t serving its purpose as a safe environment for students to learn. As gun violence in America is becoming a bigger issue, concerns around school safety have come to the forefront, even in our Encinal community.
