Locked Doors Save Lives: A Hard Truth Schools Can’t Ignore

By John Huber

The tragedy in Uvalde continues to make headlines, as more tapes and details emerge about the heartbreaking inaction and the frantic calls from students and teachers. I’m not in law enforcement, and I don’t make a habit of second-guessing officers in high-pressure situations—but I’ll be honest, much of what we’ve seen feels like cowardice.

And yet, beyond the failures of that day, one theme keeps resurfacing: an unlocked door.

This isn’t a small issue. It’s one of the most overlooked but critical aspects of school safety. And it’s something I’ve battled throughout my career.

The Problem with Convenience

As a school administrator, I can’t tell you how many times I wrote teachers up for propping doors open. Sometimes it was a little rock in the doorway, sometimes it was a wedge of cardboard—anything to make the “long way around” unnecessary. To the person doing it, it feels harmless. But in reality, it’s anything but.

We don’t know every detail of what happened in Uvalde with that door, but the point stands: when you compromise one of the simplest, most effective safety measures, you invite disaster.

The Evidence Is Clear

Here’s the fact that should stop everyone in their tracks: there has never been a case where an active shooter has breached a locked classroom door.

Not once.
They’ve shot through glass. They’ve tried other ways. But when faced with a locked door, shooters move on.

That means something as basic as consistently locking doors—without exception—can make the difference between life and death.

The Bigger Lesson

It’s easy to get caught up in complex safety measures, high-tech security systems, or large-scale response drills. And those things matter. But if schools aren’t disciplined about the small, daily habits—like locking doors—we’re missing the foundation of safety.

At Prowess Edge, I work with schools and districts to reinforce these fundamentals. Through professional development, leadership coaching, and both synchronous and asynchronous training, we help administrators and teachers build the habits and systems that prevent tragedy.

Because sometimes, it’s not about the “big fix.” Sometimes, it’s about making sure every single door is