HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Millions of dollars will be going to high-need school districts in Virginia to help them improve safety resources.
It's all part of the $16.4 million "Stronger Connections" Grant that Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced last week.
"The Stronger Connections grant program prioritizes divisions where students are at increased risk of violence and chronic absenteeism and with high student-to-staff ratios for counselors, psychologists and social workers," the governor's office said in a press release. "The criteria for awarding the grants also prioritize rural schools and schools with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students."
Mary Simms, a mother in Portsmouth, calls it a step in the right direction.
"They find guns, knives, all kinds of things," Simms said. "It needs to be something more structured to protect them and the teachers and students."
The grant will help the school districts buy advanced security equipment like threat detection technology and improve communication during emergencies.
“We know students learn best when they feel safe in their classrooms, and when teachers are able to focus on the academic needs and wellbeing of their students,” said Governor Youngkin. “While Virginia has long been a leader in school safety with regular threat assessments and security audits and annual state grants for school security equipment, the events of the school year now coming to a close remind us that we need to do more to protect our students and the educators to work everyday to prepare them for success.”
Lowanda Sample-Rusk, a grandmother from Richneck Elementary School, believes students learn best when they feel safe. Rusk was at Richneck Elementary on Jan. 6, 2023, when police said a 6-year-old student first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner. Rusk rushed to assist Zwerner.
"They're more relaxed. They can be in tune with what's going in the classroom," she said.
The grants will prioritize rural schools and those with a high percentage of disadvantaged students.
The money will also go toward hiring security officers where are there none.
"It's well overdue," Rusk said.
The Virginia Department of Education will open the grant application to school divisions on June 1. School administrators will have until Aug. 1 to apply.
