BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Board of education members voted unanimously to install weapon detectors in high schools’ district wide.
The vote happened at an emergency meeting Thursday night. The board called the meeting after Barrow County School System said a student brought a gun into Apalachee High School Wednesday.
That crime happened four months after the deadly shooting rampage at that school Sept. 4, 2024.
A crowd of families who have been pushing for security upgrades since then showed up at the executive session Thursday.
They rallied outside the building with signs and chanted, “What do we want? Safety! When do we want it? Now!”
Before going into private session, board Chairperson Lisa Maloof told the crowd that members have spent the past four months researching options and feasibility.
“This has taken time. We want to get it right,” said Maloof. “In light of recent events, we have moved this meeting to tonight.”
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The board met in a private, executive session for nearly two hours before coming out to announce a plan.
They voted unanimously approved the immediate implementation of OpenGate Weapons Detection System in all Barrow County High Schools’.
“We have carefully and thoughtfully evaluated different measures to enhance safety and security in our schools, and we are grateful for the Board’s support in the immediate purchase of weapons detection systems in our high schools, said Dr. Dallas LeDuff, Barrow County School System superintendent.
The Board authorized up to $700,000 for the purchase. We expect the systems to be in place as early as next week.
The board received a standing ovation after the vote.
Students and teachers who survived the deadly Apalachee High School shooting in Sept., parents of those who escaped, those who were injured and those who did not survive were in the crowd.
One woman, Kathryn Reynolds, said she was the one who reported the gun on campus Wednesday.
“It was just, it was just rough,” said Reynolds.
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She said her nephew, a student there, sent her a text Wednesday afternoon that said a boy pointed a gun at him in the bathroom.
“He was very scared,” said Reynolds. “I was really scared, and my husband was really scared.”
Reynolds said she immediately told the Vice Principal.
“They found the boy, arrested him immediately,” said Reynolds. “We did it quietly because we were scared to flare up an emption from this child and maybe him start shooting at my nephew or other children. So, I think that it was done very quickly.”
She said she will not send her nephew back to school until the new detectors are working.
“This is a first step, and I think there should be a lot more because these things are unpredictable,” said Reynolds.
In Sept., the board added eight the number of School Resource Officer positions to the district. The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office has started the hiring process. In Oct., The board approved a measure to purchase desk phones for each classroom. The estimated cost was $95,600. Phones have now been installed in all high schools, and middle school installations are in progress.
In Dec., Barrow County School System sent out a survey to gather feedback from the community. The board plans to share results during the Jan. 28 work session.
The district also assigned a therapy dog to AHS, and it is in the process of hiring five full-time therapists for students and staff there. Funds for that come through grants from the Barrow Community Foundation.
The school system is also hiring a recovery coordinator for AHS to lead efforts in ensuring a healthy workplace and learning environment for staff and students. Since September, there have been many on-site resources offered to students and staff including EMDR therapy, therapy dogs and visits from trauma psychologists.
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