IN LIGHT OF TOMORROW’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE MASS SHOOTING AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN UVALDE, TEXAS, SCHOOLS IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE DISTRICTS EVERYWHERE A LITTLE BIT SAFER. NEW TONIGHT, WINSTON-SALEM FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTED UNANIMOUS CHRIS LEA TO BRING IN MORE METAL DETECTORS TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS. WXII 12 S KARA PETERS JOINS US LIVE IN WINSTON SALEM WHERE THAT BOARD MEETING WAS HELD TO TELL US HOW MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE TRIAD ARE HOPING TO DETECT DANGER AND KARA, THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE DISTRICT HAS BROUGHT IN METAL DETECTORS. HEY THERE, KENNY AND CHRISTINE. THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. IN FACT, JUST LAST MONTH, THE DISTRICT DECIDED TO BRING IN MORE RANDOM SIZED METAL DETECTOR SCREENINGS. IN FACT, THEY PURCHASED 74 METAL DETECTORS TO GO IN THE SCHOOLS AS PART OF THEIR 2022 SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT. AND NOW THROUGH FISCAL YEAR FUNDS AND LOCAL FUNDS, THE DISTRICT WILL BRING IN ROUGHLY 94 METAL DETECTORS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND A SURVEY COMPLETED BY 9300 STUDENTS AND DISTRICT ASKED THEIR THOUGHTS ON METAL DETECTORS AND SAFETY. ACCORDING TO THE DATA ABOUT 73% SAID THE METAL DETECTORS MADE THEM FEEL SOMEWHAT SAFE. HOWEVER, MAJORITY OF STUDENTS SAID THEY WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE METAL DETECTORS USED IN SCHOOL EVERY DAY, ACCORDING TO CHIEF SAFETY, SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICER JONATHAN WILSON. THIS APPROVAL FOR MORE SECURITY WILL ALLOW THEM TO NOT ONLY MOVE THE METAL DETECTORS, THEY ALREADY HAVE BETWEEN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO HAVE ENOUGH FOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT 30 SCHOOLS, 15 HIGH SCHOOL, 15 MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT’S A ROUGH ESTIMATE. THAT PUTS ABOUT SIX IN EACH SCHOOL. AND SO WITH THE STADIUMS, WE HAVE A LITTLE LESS THAN I TOLD YOU AS FAR AS SCHOOL NUMBERS. SO THIS GIVES US A SUFFICIENT NUMBER TO USE AT AT ALONE STADIUM. WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE, TO MAKE OUR STAFF MEMBERS FEEL SAFE WITHIN THE CAMPUSES. AND SO THIS IS JUST AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF A TOOL FOR US TO USE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CAMERAS, WE HAVE DOOR ACCESS CONTROLS, WE HAVE SRO CONTRACTS. WE HAVE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING. WE HAVE ALL THESE THINGS. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLKIT TO USE TO MAKE STUDENTS FEEL SAFE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE THAT COMES ON CAMPUS WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULDN’T DON’T COME TO OUR DOORS WITH IT. AND WILSON SAYS THAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE THESE ADDITIONAL METAL DETECTORS READY TO GO THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. BUT THE PLAN FOR THESE METAL DETECTORS DO NOT CHANGE. THEY’RE STILL GOING TO BE USED ON A RANDOM BASIS OR IF THERE’S A THREAT TO THE SCHOOL OR FOR THOSE ATHLETIC EVENTS STILL, SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS AND PARENTS SAID TONIGHT THAT REGARDLESS OF THIS APPROVAL AND MOVING FORWARD, THEY STILL HOPE TO SEE MORE ALTERNATIVE IDEAS AND RESOURCES WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING STUDENTS AND FACULTY SAFE. WE ARE LIVE TONIGHT IN