There was a time when parents sent their children off to school, expecting them to stay safe there.

Tragically, the reality is a violent act can happen during those six or seven hours while school is in session. Schools understand they must be pro-active when it comes to keeping their students protected.

One of those ways is by installing barricade devices for each door in a building to keep staff and students on the safe side in the event an active shooter takes over the hallways.

Rock Hill School District’s board of education recently approved installing barricade devices for the about 200 doors in all three buildings on campus. Superintendent Wes Hairston even testified before a Statehouse committee to promote barricade use.

However, this past week Ohio’s building standards board warned schools about moving too quickly on installing the devices. That’s because rules the board is devising aren’t out yet. In fact, they won’t be out until at least March.

This same board was against the devices until Gov. John Kasich gave his OK in the biennium budget this summer.

The board has given schools an out saying districts are to work with their local fire officials to see if the device they’ve chosen is the safest. That’s a good move.

Who would know best what works for the local schools but the local experts who can see the layout of each building?

So why is the board coming up with rules six months from now when the answers can be found locally?

Let the districts team up with their safety experts and keep Columbus out of it.