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Here's a look at how each Hampton Roads school division is heightening security measures after recent incidents

After yet another gun was found at a Hampton Roads school on Wednesday, school safety is at the top of everyone’s mind.

NORFOLK, Va. — After yet another gun was found at a Hampton Roads school on Wednesday, school safety is at the top of everyone’s mind.

  • A high schooler brought a gun into Woodside High School, where he was arrested. 
  • Almost two months ago, a 6-year-old shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School.
  • Just this week, a student made threats to shoot classmates, again, at Richneck.
  • It’s been almost a week since another 6-year-old brought a gun to school here at Little Creek Elementary. No one was hurt and his mother is now facing charges.

But between that, and other recent problems across Hampton Roads, parents say they are scared.

Skye Barnes said the boy accused of bringing the gun to Little Creek was her 7-year-old daughter's classmate.

"At P.E., he said he was going to shoot me," said Jodi Barnes.

With all the recent threats and guns on campuses in the area, Jodi's mother is afraid.

"I broke. I cried. You hear about this stuff happening all over the world and until it hits home you don’t realize how big it really is," Skye said.

She said initially, no one from the Norfolk School Division notified her the boy was in her daughter’s class.

Since then, Jodi hasn't been back to class. Instead, she's been working on school-assigned work packets at home.

Now, Jodi said she is afraid to go back.

"If he’s going to come back because if he’s there... I’m not going to school," she said.

Skye wants to see some changes.

"I want my daughter to go to school and feel safe," she said.

It's a topic that’s been on the minds of school administrators in the last weeks and months

In their proposed budget, Norfolk Public Schools is planning to install and upgrade security cameras, hire more security officers, and install weapons detection systems across the division.

Newport News announced all weapons detection systems will be installed by March 14, as well as secondary security in each elementary school.

They’re also giving Newport News Police access to the schools if there is a threat via key card and will have Newport News Sheriff's Deputies visible at drop-off and pick-up.

   

Heritage High School already has three weapons detection systems, while Richneck has two. Newport News School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law said systems will be installed at Warwick, Menchville, and Woodside High Schools on Thursday.

Late last year, Portsmouth Public Schools voted to install one weapons detection system in each middle and high school and they could be getting more soon.

Virginia Beach parents are petitioning to have the same. Next year’s budget proposal for Virginia Beach does include new security assistants, cameras, and a new emergency notification system.

Chesapeake’s proposed 2023-2024 budget has funds for implementing heightened building access control, an improved video surveillance and there’s also a grant that would provide money for metal detectors.

Hampton already has weapons detection systems in some of their schools and last year, they brought in K-9s to sniff out weapons.

Suffolk recently implemented clear backpacks to supplement additional security like metal detectors.

You can find a list of some security measures school divisions already have in place here.

Jodi said she’s all for beefing up security at Little Creek Elementary.

"I do not want that to happen again," she said.

At the end of the day, Skye said the increased security measures are great, but she still wants more communication from Norfolk Public Schools.

She said she is currently waiting to hear back from the school division to decide her next steps.

"It shouldn’t be us parents reaching out to each other to find out what’s going on."

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