POQUOSON, Va. — Students are back in the classroom, and at the forefront of every parent's mind is their child's safety.
In Poquoson, school leaders are thinking the same and are adding ballistic film to all their entry points to keep would-be attackers out of their school buildings.
"We believe that we are as safe as we can make it," said Poquoson City Public Schools Superintendent Arty Tillett. "I learned a long time ago that there's no perfect plan, but you just put one layer on top of the other and on top of that to keep our kids and staff as safe as possible."
The ballistic film will be added in phases to Poquoson schools. The film will not prevent bullets from going through, but it will slow attackers down from gaining entry.
Mid-Atlantic Technology Services is partnering with Poquoson City Public Schools to apply the film. So far, all doors have been treated with the film and leaders hope the windows will be treated by the middle of the school year.
"The film provides the people behind it the extra seconds they would need to move to a safe location and contact authorities," said Justin Bragg, president of Mid-Atlantic Technology Services.
The treated glass is designed to be tough on the outside, but fragile from the inside. It will allow students to make an emergency exit if students need to get out.
"It doesn't impede anyone getting out of the window if it is busted from one side but it can't be penetrated from the outside," said Tillett.
School leaders hope this ballistic film will give families peace of mind as they send their children to school.
The only Poquoson City Public School that will not receive a ballistic film treatment is Poquoson Middle School. Doors and windows at that school were installed with the treatment already inside.