Responses from Hampton Roads school districts on school safety, security measures

Chesapeake Public Schools is funding and will be working on the following initiatives for the 2024-2025 school year. We are adding six additional School Resource Deputies to serve our elementary schools. This is in addition to the eight added in the 2023-2024 school year in partnership with the Chesapeake Sherriff’s Office. The program expansion will also include two Sheriff Deputy Sergeants who will assist and support the Deputy SRO’s within our schools. All school-based faculty and staff members will be trained on Stop-the-Bleed. This training will assist faculty and staff members to recognize and respond quickly to life-threatening situations. This training will take place throughout the school year and we anticipate that all of our school-based faculty and staff members will be trained by June 2025. We currently have Student ID badges in all of our elementary schools and are working toward full implementation. We are providing additional training for all of our School Security Officers (SSOs) to refine safety practices, ensure consistency, and collaborate on best practices. We will be expanding our Fire Safety Program in collaboration with the Chesapeake Fire Department to offer hands-on experiences to students during physical education classes in our elementary schools. We piloted the program at select schools last year and will be expanding it to our third graders this school year.

The City of Chesapeake and the Chesapeake Police Department have assigned a School Resource Officer to each secondary school. Additionally, a collaborative effort with the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, the Police Department, and Chesapeake Public Schools will place 14 Deputy School Resource Officers in our elementary schools, with each officer assigned to two schools.

Chesapeake Public Schools piloted weapons detection systems at one elementary, middle, and high school last year. We are currently reviewing the pilot data to guide future decisions on weapons detection. We enforce strict visitor protocols: all visitors must show a valid government-issued ID and state their purpose via our AI Camera system before entering. Only one person or family unit is allowed in the security area at a time, and they are screened through our Raptor system. Additionally, school officials may conduct random searches as per School Board Policy 9-49.

Chesapeake Public Schools School Board Policy 9-49, Health and Welfare - Search and Seizure refers to metal detector/weapons detection. The policy is as such, The school administration must at all times protect students' rights to be free from unreasonable searches. Except in situations where there is an immediate and serious risk of harm as set forth below, search of a student or personal possessions shall be conducted only if there is reasonable cause to believe (individualized suspicion) that the student possesses an item that violates the law, school policies and regulations, or which may be harmful to the school or its students or other persons. General or mass searches of students or their personal possessions, in which there is no individualized suspicion as to each student searched, are prohibited, except in situations where there is an immediate and serious risk of harm to students or other persons. This is not intended to prohibit the use of screening detectors. Lockers and other storage facilities made available to students for temporary storage of their personal possessions remain under the joint control of the student and the school administration. The school administration has the right to search lockers, desks, and other storage facilities for items that violate the law, or which may be harmful to the school or its students or other persons. Lockers and other storage facilities are subject to periodic searches by school officials, with or without notice; however, notice of this policy shall be given through the school handbook or other means annually.

Chesapeake Public Schools does not require students to use clear or see-through backpacks, nor does the district provide them.

Chesapeake Public Schools, in collaboration with the School Safety Task Force, has explored the potential need for installing additional fencing or gates around schools and between schools and their adjacent communities.

For this year, we have upgraded our PA systems and other communication tools. Please note that detailed information regarding these safety measures are not being provided in order to protect the safety and security of our students and staff.

SROs are assigned on a full-time basis to all of our secondary schools to include our PreK-8 schools, middle and high schools, Adult Alternative Learning Center, Bridgeport Academy, and Kilgore Gifted Center during the school year as well as support neighboring HCS elementary schools. There are eight SROs that are assigned to secondary schools that also support the elementary schools There are continued discussions about ways to provide added layers of safety and security to our schools, to include discussions about additions to the SRO program.

Yes. Students and visitors are required to pass through them every day upon entry.

Not at this time.

Walk-through weapons detection systems are used daily at our schools. Additionally, hand-held metal detectors are available at all of our schools (i.e., elementary, middle, high) for random searches.

No.

Various schools throughout the school division have fencing and other natural barriers that provide a general perimeter round portions of the property. At this time, it is undetermined if additional fencing will be added.

Our partnership with the Hampton Police Division is truly outstanding, and we are fortunate to have strong collaboration in ensuring school safety. One of the key benefits is the close proximity of our schools, which allows our SROs to respond quickly and assist at elementary schools as needed, even though they may not be stationed there full-time. Some barriers to place SROs in every single school are both funding and Hampton Police Division staffing levels. It takes considerable resources to hire, train, and maintain a full staff of SROs across all campuses. Additionally, we are mindful that, just like with our school employees, the SROs selected must have the right skill set to work effectively with young people. We are committed to finding individuals who not only ensure safety but also build positive relationships with students. This partnership will continue to evolve, and we remain focused on finding ways to maximize the impact of our SROs across the division.

In regard to plans to work with the Sheriff’s Department to increase the presence of sworn law enforcement officers at schools throughout the division, we have not had those conversations. However, please note, the same barriers above would apply here too.

The safety and security improvements that were implemented last school year will continue during the 2024-2025 school year. As was shared with Jessica several months ago, over the past year and a half, Newport News Public Schools has enhanced safety and security for students and staff. NNPS has increased the number of school security officers to 118 – an increase of 47 officers; installed weapon detection systems in all schools; provided more security training for staff; provided clear backpacks for all students; and increased collaboration with the Newport News Police Department and the Newport News Sheriff's Office. New for the 2024-2025 school year, all students will be required to wear a student ID every school day while on the school bus and on the school campus (In April 2024, NNPS implemented mandatory ID usage for all high school students). Student IDs will be issued to all students at the beginning of the school year. Student IDs will help staff identify students who are in our buildings. The new IDs will replace the T-Pass, so students who ride an NNPS school bus to and from school will be able to scan their student ID as they board and exit the school bus. The new IDs may also be utilized in the cafeteria for lunch service and in the library to check out books and other materials.

School Resource Officers, known as SROs (Newport News Police Officers), are assigned to each middle and high school and serve alongside the school’s administrative staff each school day. They also provide support at elementary schools when needed. Please note that reporters often use “School Resource Officers” and “School Security Officers” interchangeably. These are two distinct jobs. School Resource Officers are police officers employed by the NN Police Department. SROs are assigned to each middle and high school, where they work a full school day. School Security Officers (employed by Newport News Public Schools) are assigned to all NNPS schools (preschool through high school). There is at least one in every preschool, two in every elementary school, three in most middle schools (there are two officers at our smaller middle schools), and six in every high school. School Security Officers are not armed.

Last school year, weapon detection systems (not to be confused with metal detectors) were installed in all NNPS schools (preschool through high school). All students and visitors proceed -through the detection system upon entry to school every day. The weapon detection systems are managed by School Security Officers.

Yes, clear backpacks are mandatory for all NNPS students. The school division, with financial support from the City of Newport News, will provide all students with a clear backpack at the beginning of the school year. Last school year, NNPS implemented the use of clear backpacks and paid for them for all students.

Environmental safety enhancements occur throughout the year as warranted.

That is the number of School Resource Officers that the NNPD and NNPD agreed to in the MOU. Like most police departments, the NNPD is not fully staffed. Again, NNPS has significantly increased the number of School Security Officers trained by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. They are now present in all schools full-time.

Sheriff Deputies visit elementary schools more often. They are assigned to certain elementary schools and often eat lunch with students.

We continue to have School Security Officers assigned to every school within the division, assigned full-time at all schools with 6th grade students and above. We are continuing the use of our visitor management system, and several schools have structural improvements to enhance security as well. We are continuing to use the Weapons Detection System purchased last year in every school within the division. Multiple units are at each school based on the student population, and the system includes a corresponding walk-through and hand-held unit. There are also plans for vestibules to be constructed in some schools.

No, School Resource Officers are sworn law enforcement officers assigned to schools. There are currently six in Norfolk Public Schools; one in each high school and one assigned to the Madison Alternative Education Center. None of the schools share an SRO. School Resources Officers are provided to the school division by the City of Norfolk through a memorandum of understanding.

Yes, every school is equipped with a weapons detection system that students and visitors must pass through every day for entry.

There is no plan to decrease their use.

All students and visitors must pass through the weapons detection systems to be granted access to the building. Students are subject to random checks, which may include the use of either a walk-through or hand-held weapons detection system.

Clear back packs are not mandatory.

The district is constantly reviewing areas for improved security measures, to include fencing.

This year, the division is investing in the FUSUS camera system throughout our facilities. This was done in consultation with the Portsmouth Police Department as they have deployed this system throughout the city and will allow for seamless integration for their use. This will both streamline response times for incidents and help make investigations more efficient. In addition, the contract term for all our division School Security Officers was extended from a 10-month position to a 10+1, which will help ensure we have security staff on site during high-traffic times ahead of the start of school (for enrollment, open houses, back to school nights, etc.). Similarly, more funding was dedicated to security for athletic and after school events. All of these items have been implemented.

No. There are 11 total SROs that support the division’s 22 schools and preschool centers (all six secondary schools have an assigned SRO who is based at the school) The SROs are employed by the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office; not the school division. As such, the division relies on the Sheriff’s Office funding/staffing for the division’s SRO program.

Yes, all schools and centers have a weapons detection system that students and school visitors must walk through upon entry to the building.

As shared above, all PPS schools and centers already have a weapons detection system. There is no plan to decrease their use.

All students and school visitors are screened upon entry to the building each day.

No, clear backpacks are not required.

The division does routine campus assessments and works with the City of Portsmouth to address any specific needs that arise (as the city manages the school division’s Capital Improvement Program). At this time, there are no outstanding needs that have been identified.

The barrier in having a SRO in every school is funding. The state grant is the main funding source of our SRO program.

Yes, we are looking at ways to ensure every school has a full-time SRO. The schools that don't have a full-time SRO are patrolled by a deputy.

Zero eyes technology (AI firearm detection system), additional radios for classrooms, additional weapon detectors.

All secondary schools have an SRO (these SROs are assigned to an elementary school), all of our SROs are assigned to an elementary school.

Yes.

Additional weapons detectors were purchased for schools this summer.

We use our detector daily and periodically random metal detector checks.

Clear backpacks are not mandatory.

We do not have any information to share at this time.

Several security improvements have been implemented this school year, to include added training and new improved technology.

SROs are primarily assigned to public secondary schools in Virginia Beach. Each SRO is also responsible for the public elementary schools in their assigned area and handles any incidents that may occur in those schools.

A presentation was given to the School Safety Task Force regarding the pros and cons of metal detectors. The decision was made to not implement metal detectors in all schools at this time. Renaissance Academy uses metal detectors for their arrival. Some athletic events require metal detection screenings as well.

Every school has handheld metal detectors. They can use at their discretion for individual searches where reasonable suspicion exists, as well as at special events. The division has mobile walk-through metal detectors used for special events. Metal detectors are not installed.

A presentation was given to the School Safety Task Force regarding the pros and cons of clear bags. The decision was made to not implement clear bags for all students at this time.

As a result of the 2018 Blue Ribbon panel, a recommendation was made to improve the fencing throughout the division. We have continued to improve exterior fencing of our school buildings every year since 2018. It is an ongoing project.

Department staffing is a barrier to assigning an SRO to each of the 86 public schools in Virginia Beach.