We said we’d be back, and many schools were ready.

The response to this newspaper’s second school security audit, conducted May 8, was heartening, and lends proof that many school administrators are considering the safety of students and campuses with seriousness equal to traditional day-to-day budgeting and curriculum decisions.

Security is easy to lapse, especially in the rhythmic school environment. In the latest audit, the attention – with some exceptions – to strangers was exemplary, with some schools identifying our auditors even before they reached the schools’ front doors.

That being said, this success must be maintained with diligent vigilance. Doors were still found unlocked, auditors were still taken at their word – rather than their identification cards – and some schools looked through our staffers whilst they wandered the hallways, mingling with students and faculty.

The concerns that prompted our first audit remain strong: it can happen here.

Consider the carnage that was wreaked in nine minutes at Virginia Tech, and imagine what could happen if an unauthorized person has unfettered access to a schoolhouse for 20 minutes, or more.

This is the worst case scenario, obviously.

But by readying for the extremes, schools can hone their overall security policies, and keep dangerous outsiders where they belong: outside and away from the students who school faculty and administrators are entrusted to protect.