VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Schools in Virginia Beach will increase security, school board member Victoria Manning tells News 3.
The schools will lock front doors and require visitors to press a buzzer to enter the schools, allowing staff the chance to inspect them before they enter, school board members said during a meeting last week.
Manning says some schools already have the buzzers in place, but the program will expand to all schools by next year.
The idea was discussed in a petition started by a parent last fall. "We are failing to protect our kids with the most basic, preventative level of security: a locked front door," reads the petition by Melissa Smasal. More than two thousand people signed it.
Other school divisions, like Norfolk and Portsmouth, already have buzzer systems in place.
The Virginian Pilot first reported the school division's plan.
Stay with News 3 for updates on the plan.
