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Accomack schools awarded security equipment grant

Gov. Ralph Northam announced the award of $6 million in School Security Equipment Grants to protect students and teachers in 102 school divisions and the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.
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School bus

ACCOMAC, Va. (Delmarva Now) — Six Accomack County schools will get new security equipment after the state awarded the school district nearly $27,000.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced the award of $6 million in School Security Equipment Grants to protect students and teachers in 102 school divisions and the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.

"We are very excited about getting this grant — it just gives us more security in our schools," said Accomack School Superintendent Chris Holland.

The grants will pay for video monitoring systems, metal detectors, classroom locks, electronic-access controls, visitor-identification systems, direct communications links between schools and law enforcement agencies, and other security upgrades in 443 schools and other instructional facilities, according to a press release.

In Accomack County, Accawmacke Elementary School, Arcadia High School, Arcadia Middle School, Kegotank Elementary School, Nandua High School and Nandua Middle School will receive security upgrades under the grant program.

“Since its inception in 2013, the school security equipment grant program has funded nearly 2,900 new projects and system upgrades to ensure the safety Virginia students and educators,” Northam said, adding, “These grants are a key component of the Commonwealth’s comprehensive approach to protecting schools.”

The criteria for making the awards — developed by the Virginia Department of Education and the state Department of Criminal Justice Services — give priority to schools most in need of modern security equipment, schools with relatively high numbers of offenses, schools with equipment needs identified by a school security audit, and schools in divisions least able to afford security upgrades.

“Student safety is always the number one priority of the educators and support personnel in our schools,” said James Lane, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“These grants allow schools to purchase the improvements and technology needed to address the findings of annual security audits,” he said.

The largest grant a school district may receive under the program is $100,000.

A local match of 25 percent is required of most divisions, including Accomack.

The School Security Equipment Grants program was established by the 2013 General Assembly in the aftermath of the Dec. 14, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

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