HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Over 400 schools in the commonwealth received a $12 million dollar grant to buy new school security equipment.
Several school districts in Hampton Roads were on the list of those to receive the grants, including schools Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth,and Virginia Beach, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The state school security grants have been approved for 98 school divisions.
The grants will pay for security card access systems, visitor ID badging systems, surveillance cameras, security vestibules, two-way radios, voice and video internal communication systems, interior school bus cameras, mass notification systems and other security enhancements.
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Grants were awarded on a competitive basis to schools that met criteria developed by the VDOE and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, according to the VDOE. Evaluation of the schools was based on the need for equipment, number of security offenses and whether the schools were in a division least able to afford the upgrades themselves.
Chesapeake schools to receive grant funds:
- Deep Creek Middle
- Indian River Middle
Norfolk schools to receive grant funds:
- Booker T Washington High
- Granby High
Portsmouth schools to receive grant funds:
- Churchland Middle
- Cradock Middle
- William E. Waters Middle
Virginia Beach schools to receive grant funds:
- Bayside 6th Grade Campus
- Bayside High
- Birdneck Elementary
- Brandon Middle
- Green Run High
- Kempsville Meadows Elementary
- Parkway Elementary
- Pembroke Meadows Elementary
- Point O' View Elementary
- Providence Elementary
- Thalia Elementary
- Thoroughgood Elementary
- W.T. Cooke Elementary
- Windsor Oaks Elementary
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There are other schools in News 3's coverage area receiving part of the security grant.
Accomack County schools to receive grant funds:
- Accawmacke Elementary
- Arcadia Middle
- Chincoteague Elementary
- Chincoteague High
- Kegotank Elementary
- Metompkin Elementary
- Nandua High
- Pungoteague Elementary
- Tangier Combined
Franklin City schools to receive grant funds:
- Franklin High
- Joseph P. King Jr. Middle
- S.P. Morton Elementary
Gloucester schools to receive grant funds:
- Abingdon Elementary
- Achilles Elementary
- Bethel Elementary
- Gloucester High
- Page Middle
- Petsworth Elementary
