Prince William Co Schools invests $343K in cutting-edge security upgrades
WOODBRIDGE, Va. - In northern Virginia, Prince William County Public Schools is spending thousands of dollars on improving security at several schools.
The district applied for money from the state to implement the upgrades.
Beville Middle is just one of five schools county-wide receiving updated security.
The school district says it applied to improve closed-circuit TV systems to provide current technology in schools.
The money used for the upgrade is reportedly grant funds from the state.
Prince William County Public School system considering additional security measures
The Prince William County Public School system could soon have new security screening technology.
The school district confirmed with FOX 5 that the security camera enhancements Beville Middle School along with Mountain View and Penn Elementary Schools will receive cost $343,000.
Dale City and Enterprise Elementary schools will undergo the same security alterations, thanks to a grant worth $133,000.
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Prince William County Public Schools will match 25% of the funding.
The school district told FOX 5 that research shows using current technologies in schools has a measurable impact on student safety and learning.
FOX 5 spoke with a former police chief and security consultant Catherine Torrez on why this is so important and why now.
"Every school district needs to step up its game," Torrez said. "A lot of schools don't even mess with it because it is time-consuming and expensive, but now we don't have that luxury of turning our heads."
The Virginia Department of Education recently announced $12 million in state grant money toward school security equipment upgrades.
Nearly 500 of the most needed schools across the Commonwealth will receive the money and updates, which include cameras that record in high definition for enhanced clarity and zoom capabilities.