NORFOLK, Va. — Following Wednesday's fatal school shooting in Georgia that left two students and two teachers dead, several school divisions in Hampton Roads shared how they are keeping students, teachers, and staff safe.
As of September 5, there have been at least 45 school shootings in the United States so far this year. In 2023, the country saw 50 school shootings.
Researchers with the non-profit Urban Institute reported that in 2023, schools in the U.S. collectively spent more than $2.5 billion on security measures. The Virginia Department of Education said the state has a history of being proactive.
"Security is expensive," said Cliff Lent, president of security firm M7 Solutions. "Think of an armed security officer, could range anywhere between $30 and $75,000, depending on the area where they're working, per year — and that's for one individual. And training of those individuals, equipping those individuals."
Lent is a security expert. He served as a police officer for more than 20 years and worked for the Department of Homeland Security. He said that, unfortunately, schools can be easy targets.
"Schools are places of learning, and they're not designed to be locked down fortresses, like a federal building or a jail. So, it's an easy target for a young person that is suffering or at risk," he said.
However, school security is a top priority for leaders in Virginia.
This year, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the FY 2024 state budget, which included $18.5 million in state and federal funding for one-time School Safety and Security Grants for public schools statewide.
According to the Virginia Department of Education, the one-time funds may be used for equipment purchases and installations, software purchases, planning, and on-site training to improve the safety and security of public school buildings.
Several school divisions in Hampton Roads shared with 13News Now how they are working to keep their schools safe.
HAMPTON CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A Hampton City Public Schools spokesperson said the division spent roughly $8 million towards security. Some of the safety measures used include the following:
"A raptor Visitor Management Technologies to check in guests, HCS Emergency Response Plans, each school has an HCS Emergency Response/Safety Team, School Threat Assessment Teams, Evacuation and lockdown drills, Aiphone Access Control System, a buzzer system at all front doors which is both audio and visual, internal and external camera system, a radio system at all of our schools, Panic button system, a Walk-through weapons detection systems used daily at our schools, hand-held metal detectors at all of our schools, elementary, middle, high, used for random searches, police canine dedicated to HCS through the SRO program to conduct random narcotic sweeps."
CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A Chesapeake Public Schools spokesperson said that the division is "committed to taking a proactive approach to school safety, ensuring the well-being of our students, staff, and faculty."
Some of those measures include ensuring that all exterior and interior doors remain locked during the school day, utilizing advanced security camera systems in every school building, implementing AI-driven visitor management systems, installing security vestibules in most secondary schools, deploying School Resource Officers in all secondary schools, assigning School Resource Deputies to serve primary, intermediate, and elementary schools (one deputy for every two schools), and conducting threat assessments on all potential threats of harm, both student and nonstudent.
Additionally, the Office of Student Conduct and Support assigns student engagement and resource counselors to all students who may pose a high or imminent threat. And schools assign support staff to all students with mild or moderate threats.
Moreover, for the 2024-2025 school year, the division has increased the number of School Resource Deputies assigned at each school. The division said the expansion was made possible through its strong partnership with the Sheriff's office, which secured $490,650 in grant funding to bolster security in these schools.
In addition to Raptor visitor and volunteer management software, this year, they plan to add the Raptor Emergency Manager Suite, enhancing their ability to manage emergencies more effectively. This critical upgrade comes at a cost of $149,347.
NEWPORT NEWS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The spokesperson for Newport News Public Schools said the division has already significantly enhanced student and staff security for the 2024-2025 school year. According to the spokeswoman, over the past year and a half, NNPS has increased the number of school security officers to 118, an increase of 47 officers. They've also installed weapon detection systems in all schools and provided more security training for staff and clear backpacks for all students.
The division has also increased collaboration with the Newport News Police Department and the Newport News Sheriff's Office.
Moreover, the NNPS School Board-approved budget includes $8,002,025 for security services, an increase of 17.9% over the previous school year.
NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A spokesperson with Norfolk Public Schools said that in light of recent events, such as the Georgia school shooting, the school has conducted a thorough reassessment of its security protocols.
According to the division's spokesperson, the division's multi-layered strategy includes the mandatory use of the Open Gate System for all students and visitors, enhancing their ability to monitor school access. The spokesperson said the division also has strategically placed School Security Officers (SSOs) throughout the division, with full-time officers stationed at all schools serving 6th-grade students and above. Additionally, the division's visitor management system provides an extra layer of screening and tracking. The division has also partnered with the City of Norfolk, and the division has a school resource officer (SRO) assigned to every high school and other auxiliary sites.
SUFFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A division spokesperson provided this statement: "On Thursday, September 5, 2024, Suffolk Public Schools sent a letter to parents, reminding them they will continue to regulate the check-in/check-out process to ensure that all building entry points are secure. Our School Resource Officers (SROs) will also continue to be visible and vigilant throughout our buildings."
VIRGINIA BEACH CITY SCHOOLS
Meanwhile, Virginia Beach City Schools released this statement: "VBCPS is constantly reviewing security policies and procedures and updating as needed to ensure the safety of our students and staff. The recent incident in Georgia does serve as a reminder that school safety is everyone's responsibility."
PORTSMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The spokesperson for Portsmouth Public School shared how they protect students, teachers, and staff. The spokesperson said the division spent roughly $1.5 million on security and other operational improvements. It included the division investing in the FUSUS camera system throughout our facilities, which was done in consultation with the Portsmouth Police Department. The system streamlines response times for incidents and helps make investigations more efficient.
Additionally, the contract term for all our division School Security Officers was extended from a 10-month position to a 10+1, according to the division's spokesperson. This helps ensure the division has security staff on-site during high-traffic times ahead of the start of school.