Students are heading back to the classrooms and several school divisions in Southwest Virginia have made some changes to keep kids safe.
As the new school year begins, Lynchburg City Public Schools have introduced new security measures to ensure the safety of students and staff. Over the summer, three schools—Dunbar Middle, Paul Munro Elementary, and Hutcherson Early Learning Center—received new entryways designed to control access more effectively.
Teachers and staff members now use key fobs to enter the buildings, while visitors must ring a bell outside the school. Once buzzed in, visitors are greeted by a staff member in the new vestibule area and undergo a check-in process before gaining access to the school. The cost of these enhancements was approximately $450,000.
“We know that families send their kids to schools, and we want to make sure that when they are with us, there is no question of whether a student will be safe in our schools. Students learn and thrive when they’re feeling safe and secure and healthy and comfortable, and this is just another way that we want to improve and continue to improve our student experience at Lynchburg City Schools,” said Deputy Superintendent of Operations and Strategic Planning Reid Wodicka.
Dunbar Middle, Paul Munro Elementary and Hutcherson Early Learning Center were the last schools to get the new additions. Lynchburg City Public Schools has been changing its entryways for the last ten years.
Meanwhile, Roanoke County Public Schools are taking a stand against student vaping by installing vape detectors in bathrooms and locker rooms in all of its high schools. These devices operate similarly to smoke detectors, alerting staff members when vaping is detected. Additionally, cameras have been installed outside the bathrooms to identify students who may be vaping.
“Vaping is a huge concern. I know that for most people, they think that vaping is not as bad as tobacco when actually it’s just as bad as tobacco for our students, and our staff wants to help educate our kids about the effects of vaping,” said the Executive Director of Administration Tammy Newcomb.
Last year, more than 300 students were caught vaping, leading to consequences such as in-school detention and restricted bathroom access.
Other school districts are also making significant changes to enhance safety. Roanoke City Schools implemented more than 25 safety improvements in 2022, totaling more than $4 million, and did not introduce new changes this year.
Montgomery County has not disclosed its summer updates, while Danville City Public Schools continue to renovate and update safety features. Danville City Public Schools are adding key fob entries to classroom doors and installing cameras in classrooms to all of the schools being renovated. The school division is upgrading surveillance solutions as well.