NAGS HEAD, N.C. — For Dare County Middle and High School students, they might be passing through new threat detection machines the minute they get to school. That’s part of an additional effort to make sure nothing’s getting into our school’s that can pose a threat.
“It's an everyday fear, just as much as it is with any other, you know, going to the grocery store or anything like that," said Lexie Amundson, a Dare County Schools parent.
Lexie Amundson is a mother of a Manteo Elementary School kindergartener. Though she doesn’t worry when dropping her daughter off at school, safety is her number one priority.
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“It's pretty nerve wracking sometimes, but you just got to kind of also think about the better parts, just be a little bit more hopeful," said Amundson.
In the fall through an awarded school safety grant, Dare County Schools bolstered its safety measures by bringing in machines that can detect weapons that could pose a threat in a school.
“These systems are portable, they're looking for specific things, they can be used outdoors, they're weatherproof, they can be used indoors, they can be moved around to different parts of the building," said Steve Basnight, the superintendent of Dare County Schools.
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It wasn't a specific incident that pushed the school system to add these precautions, Basnight said it's just the way that schools have to operate today.
“In the last 10 years is really an evolution in in school safety. It can be anywhere at any time, and so you really have to address school safety from the standpoint of all aspects all the time," said Basnight.
An added precaution that parents like Lexie feel is necessary.
“I think any precaution that you can take, any extra step that we can take to ensure our kids safety, is necessary," said Amundson.
At this time, these machines are operating across middle and high schools in the county with plans expand to elementary schools in the future as well. On top of that, Dare County has a School Resource Officer in every building.
