News

459 Va. Schools Awarded Security Improvement Grants

September 03, 2013 CS Staff

RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Bob McDonnell yesterday awarded $6 million in School Security Equipment Grants to improve safety and security for students and teachers in 459 Virginia schools and regional education programs. The grants will pay for security equipment, including video monitoring systems, metal detectors, electronic-access controls, visitor-identification systems and communications systems providing direct links between schools and law enforcement agencies.

The School Security Equipment Grant program was proposed by the governor in February and established by the General Assembly through the passage of the 2013 Appropriation Act and House Bill 2343, which was sponsored by Delegate Beverly J. Sherwood, R-Winchester.

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The legislation directed the Virginia Public School Authority to issue bonds to fund up to $6 million in competitive grants statewide for the purchase and installation of school security equipment. School divisions and regional educational programs were invited in June to apply for grants of up to $100,000.

Additional state funding for school security was one of a series of recommendations made by the governor’s Taskforce on School and Campus Safety. The governor created the blue-ribbon panel in the aftermath of the December 14, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., that claimed the lives of 20 students, the school’s principal, two teachers, two aides and a school psychologist.

The 86 school divisions and educational programs awarded grants – and the 459 schools and educational facilities that will receive needed security upgrades – are as follows:

Accomack County – $51,248 for security improvements at Arcadia High, Arcadia Middle, Chincoteague Combined, Kegotank Elementary, Nandua Middle and Pungoteague Elementary
Albemarle County – $39,994 for Albemarle High, Jack Jouett Middle, Jackson P. Burley Middle, Joseph T. Henley Middle, Leslie H. Walton Middle, Monticello High, Mortimer Y. Sutherland Middle, Murray High, Paul Cale Elementary, Red Hill Elementary, Scottsville Elementary and Western Albemarle High
Amelia County – $100,000 for Amelia Elementary, Amelia High and Amelia Middle
Appomattox County – $59,730 for Alternative Ed Center, Appomattox County Elementary, Appomattox County High, Appomattox County Middle and Appomattox County Primary
Bath County – $56,866 for Bath County High and Valley Elementary
Bedford County – $75,597 for Bedford Elementary, Bedford Primary, Stewartsville Elementary and Thaxton Elementary
Bland County – $13,836 for Bland High/Elementary School, Rocky Gap Elementary and Rocky Gap High
Buckingham County – $94,961 for Buckingham County High, Buckingham County Middle and Buckingham Preschool
Charlotte County – $87,273 for Bacon District Elementary, Eureka Elementary and Phenix Elementary
Charlottesville – $68,800 for Buford Middle School, Johnson Elementary and Walker Upper Elementary
Chesapeake – $100,000 for Great Bridge High, Greenbrier Middle, Hickory Middle and Hugo A. Owens Middle
Covington – $33,600 for Covington High School
Craig County – $38,849 for Craig County High/Middle and McCleary Elementary
Culpeper County – $73,462 for A. G. Richardson Elementary, Farmington Elementary, Pearl Sample Elementary and Sycamore Elementary
Cumberland County – $40,000 for Cumberland Elementary
Dickenson County – $79,226 for Clintwood Elementary, Ervinton Elementary and Sandlick Elementary
Essex County – $11,479 for Essex Intermediate and Tappahannock Elementary
Fairfax County – $100,000 for Edison High School, Lee High School and West Potomac High School
Fauquier County – $42,846 for Taylor Middle and Warrenton Middle
Franklin – $36,800 for Franklin High and J. P. King, Jr. Middle
Franklin County – $75,760 for Franklin County High
Frederick County – $34,385 for Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle, Apple Pie Ridge Elementary, Bass-Hoover Elementary, Dowell J. Howard Center, Northwestern Regional Educational Programs and Stonewall Elementary
Gloucester County – $77,259 for Achilles Elementary, Botetourt Elementary and Gloucester High School
Grayson County – $50,536 for Baywood Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Fries School, Grayson County High and Independence Middle
Halifax County – $52,080 for Clays Mill Elementary, Halifax High, Meadville Elementary, Scottsburg Elementary, Sinai Elementary and Sydnor Jennings Elementary
Hampton – $100,000 for A.W.E. Bassett Elementary, Aberdeen Elementary, Alfred S. Forrest Elementary, Armstrong Elementary, Barron Elementary, Benjamin Symns Middle, Bethel High, Booker Elementary, C. Alton Lindsay Middle, Captain John Smith Elementary, Cesar Tarrant Elementary, Christopher C. Kraft Elementary, Francis Asbury Elementary, Francis W. Jones Middle, George P. Phenix School, Hampton High, Hunter B. Andrews, Jane H. Bryan Elementary, Jefferson Davis Middle, John B. Cary Elementary, John Tyler Elementary, Kecoughtan High, Luther W. Machen Elementary, Paul Burbank Elementary, Phillips Elementary, Phoebus High, Samuel P. Langley Elementary, Thomas Eaton Middle, Tucker-Capps Elementary and William Mason Cooper Elementary
Highland County – $5,500 for Highland High
Hopewell – $61,567 for Carter G. Woodson Middle and Hopewell High School
Isle of Wight County – $86,205 for Carrsville Elementary, Hardy Elementary, Smithfield High, Westside Elementary and Windsor High
King and Queen County – $80,000 for Central High School and Lawson Marriott Elementary
King George County – $100,000 for King George Middle and Potomac Elementary
King William County – $64,000 for Aquinton Elementary, Hamilton Holmes Middle and King William High
Lee County – $100,000 for Dryden Elementary, Elydale Elementary, Flatwoods Elementary, Jonesville Middle, Pennington Middle, Rose Hill Elementary, St. Charles Elementary and Thomas Walker High
Louisa County – $100,000 for Louisa County Middle and Trevilians Elementary
Lunenburg County – $48,000 for Central High School, Kenbridge Elementary, Lunenburg Middle and Victoria Elementary
Lynchburg – $100,000 for Bedford Hills Elementary, Dearington Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Linkhorne Elementary, Paul Munro Elementary, Perrymont Elementary, Robert S. Payne Elementary, Sandusky Elementary, Sheffield Elementary, Thomas C. Miller Elementary and William Marvin Bass Elementary
Madison County – $100,000 for Madison County High, Madison Primary, Waverly Yowell Elementary and William Wetsel Middle
Manassas – $41,728 for R. C. Haydon Elementary and Weems Elementary
Manassas Park – $85,949 for Cougar Elementary, Manassas Park Elementary, Manassas Park High and Manassas Park Middle
Martinsville – $79,408 for Albert Harris Elementary, Martinsville High, Martinsville Middle and Patrick Henry Elementary
Mecklenburg County – $96,763 for Bluestone High School, Bluestone Middle, Chase City Elementary, Clarksville Elementary, LaCrosse Elementary, Park View High School, Park View Middle and South Hill Elementary
Middle Peninsula Regional Special Education Program – $2,080
Middlesex County – $100,000 for Middlesex Elementary and St. Clare Walker Middle
Mo
ntgomery County – $60,565 for Christiansburg Elementary, Christiansburg High, Christiansburg Primary and Harding Avenue Elementary
Nelson County – $100,000 for Nelson High, Nelson Middle, Rockfish River Elementary and Tye River Elementary
Newport News – $72,658 for An Achievable Dream Elementary, Carver Elementary, Charles Elementary, Deer Park Elementary, Denbigh Early Childhood Center, Dutrow Elementary, Epes Elementary, General Stanford Elementary, Greenwood Elementary, Hidenwood Elementary, Hilton Elementary, Jenkins Elementary, Kiln Creek Elementary, Lee Hall Early Childhood Center., Lee Hall Elementary, Marshall Early Childhood Center, McIntosh Elementary, Nelson Elementary, Newsome Park Elementary, Palmer Elementary, Richneck Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Sanford Elementary, Saunders Elementary, Sedgefield Elementary, Watkins Early Childhood Center and Yates Elementary
Norfolk – $75,974 for Azalea Gardens Middle, Bayview Elementary, Booker T. Washington High, Fairlawn Elementary, Ghent Elementary, Granby Elementary, Jacox Elementary, Lindenwood Elementary, Little Creek Elementary, Northside Middle, Norview Elementary, Suburban Park Elementary, Willard Model Elementary and Willoughby Elementary
Northampton County – $40,230 for Kiptopeke Elementary, Northampton High and Occohannock Elementary
Northumberland County – $78,931 for Northumberland Elementary, Northumberland High and Northumberland Middle
Orange County – $75,876 for Gordon Barbour Elementary, Lightfoot Elementary, Orange County High, Orange Elementary, Prospect Heights Middle, Taylor Education Administration Complex and Unionville Elementary
Page County – $89,265 for Grove Hill Preschool, Luray Elementary, Shenandoah Elementary, Springfield Elementary and Stanley Elementary
Patrick County – $92,668 for Hardin Reynolds Memorial, Patrick County High, Stuart Elementary and Woolwine Elementary
Petersburg – $78,400 for A. P. Hill Elementary, Blandford Academy, J.E.B. Stuart Elementary, Robert E. Lee Elementary, Walnut Hill Elementary and Westview Early Childhood Education Center
Pittsylvania County – $100,000 for Brosville Elementary, Chatham Elementary, Chatham Middle, Dan River Middle, Gretna Elementary, Gretna Middle, John L. Hurt Jr. Elementary, Kentuck Elementary, Mt. Airy Elementary, Southside Elementary, Stony Mill Elementary, Tunstall Middle, Twin Springs Elementary and Union Hall Elementary
Poquoson – $47,040 for Poquoson High and Poquoson Middle
Portsmouth – $99,960 for Brighton Elementary, Churchland Middle, Cradock Middle, Douglass Park Elementary, Emily N. Spong Preschool, John Tyler Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Mount Hermon Preschool, Park View Elementary, Westhaven Elementary and William E. Waters Middle
Powhatan County – $21,592 for Pocahontas Elementary, Pocahontas Middle and Powhatan Jr. High
Prince George County – $78,356 for David A. Harrison Elementary, J.E.J. Moore Middle, North Elementary and William A. Walton Elementary
Prince William County – $88,914 for Fred Lynn Middle, Godwin Middle, Graham Park Middle, Parkside Middle, Rippon Middle, Saunders Middle, Stonewall Middle and Woodbridge Middle
Pulaski County – $99,276 for Critzer Elementary, Dublin Elementary, Pulaski County High and Snowville Elementary
Radford – $13,280 for Radford High
Richmond – $79,811 for Armstrong High
Richmond County – $75,992 for Rappahannock High and Richmond County Elementary
Roanoke – $100,000 for Crystal Spring Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Fallon Park Elementary, Fishburn Park Elementary, Forest Park Academy, Garden City Elementary, Grandin Court Elementary, Highland Park Elementary, Hurt Park Elementary, James Breckinridge Middle, James Madison Middle, Lincoln Terrace Elementary, Lucy Addison Middle, Monterey Elementary, Moringside Elementary, Noel C. Taylor Academy, Patrick Henry High, Preston Park Elementary, Roanoke Academy for Math and Science, Round Hill Elementary, Stonewall Jackson Middle, Virginia Heights Elementary, Wasena Elementary, Westside Elementary, William Fleming High and Woodrow Wilson Middle
Roanoke County – $95,906 for Cave Spring High and William Byrd High
Rockingham County – $72,826 for Broadway High, East Rockingham High, Elkton Elementary, Elkton Middle, Fulks Run Elementary, J. Frank Hillyard Middle, John C. Myers Elementary, John Wayland Elementary, Linville-Edom Elementary, McGaheysville Elementary, Montevideo Middle, Ottobine Elementary, Plains Elementary, Pleasant Valley Elementary, Spotswood High, Turner Ashby High and Wilbur S. Pence Middle
Russell County – $60,555 for Castlewood Elementary, Castlewood High, Honaker Elementary, Russell County Career and Technology Center and Russell County Alternative Center
Salem – $71,582 for Andrew Lewis Middle, East Salem Elementary, G. W. Carver Elementary, Salem High and West Salem Elementary
Scott County – $63,512 for Duffield Primary, Dungannon Intermediate, Fort Blackmore Primary, Gate City High, Gate City Middle, Hilton Elementary, Nickelsville Elementary, Renaissance Program, Rye Cove High, Rye Cove Intermediate, Scott County Career and Technical Center, Shoemaker Elementary, Twin Springs High, Weber City Elementary and Yuma Elementary
Shenandoah County – $43,704 for Central High, North Fork Middle, Peter Muhlenberg Middle, Signal Knob Middle, Stonewall Jackson High and Strasburg High
Smyth County – $22,812 for Chilhowie High, Northwood High and Saltville Elementary
Southampton County – $96,436 for Capron Elementary, Southampton High and Southampton Middle
Stafford County – $100,000 for Andrew G. Wright Middle, Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle, Edward E. Drew Middle, H. H. Poole Middle, Rodney E. Thompson Middle, Shirley C. Heim Middle, Stafford Middle and T. Benton Gayle Middle
Staunton – $73,301 for A. R. Ware Elementary, Bessie Weller Elementary, Shelburne Middle and T. C. McSwain Elementary
Suffolk – $100,000 for Booker T. Washington Elementary, Driver Elementary, Elephant’s Fork Elementary, Florence Bowser Elementary, Forest Glen Middle, Hillpoint Elementary, John F. Kennedy Middle, John Yeates Middle, Kilby Shores Elementary, King’s Fork Middle, Lakeland High, Mack Benn, Jr. Elementary, Nansemond Parkway Elementary, Oakland Elementary and Southwestern Elementary
Surry County – $40,000 for Surry County High
Sussex County – $37,402 for Sussex Central High and Sussex Central Middle
Virginia Beach – $100,000 for Kempsville High
Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind – $93,003 for Bass Hall and Cafeteria, Byrd Hall, Healy Hall and Auditorium, Lewellyn Gymnasium and Price Hall
Warren County – $71,410 for A. S. Rhodes Elementary, Bessie Jeffries Elementary, E. Wilson Morrison Elementary and Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary
Washington County – $64,448 for Abingdon High, Damascus Middle, E. B. Stanley Middle, Glade Spring Middle, Greendale Elementary, High Point Elementary, Holston High, John S. Battle High, Meadowview Elementary, Patrick Henry High, Valley Institute Elementary, Wallace Middle and William N. Neff Center for Science and Technology
Waynesboro – $100,000 for Kate Collins Middle and Waynesboro High
West Point – $57,600 for West Point Elementary, West Point High and West Point Middle
Westmoreland County – $63,248 for Cople Elementary, Montross Middle, Washington and Lee High, and Washington District Elementary
Williamsburg-James City County – $57,680 for Jamestown High and Toano Middle
Winchester – $100,000 for Garland R. Quarles Elementary and Virginia Avenue Charlotte DeHart Elementary

“The criteria for making the awards gave priority to schools currently without modern security equipment, older buildings, schools with relatively high numbers of offenses, and schools in divisions least able to afford upgrades,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said. “The process also took into
account the percentage of students in a division whose safety would be enhanced.”

Under HB 2343, school divisions awarded grants must provide a local match of 25% of the grant amount. Two divisions – Lee County and Scott County – are exempt from the local-match requirement because both have a composite index of local ability-to-pay of less than 0.2000. The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind also is exempt.

The 2013 Appropriation Act includes a second round of School Security Equipment Grants next summer. As with the first round announced today, the grants – not to exceed $6 million statewide – will be awarded on a competitive basis, with school divisions and regional programs eligible to receive up to $100.000. The same local-match requirement will also apply to School Security Equipment Grants awarded in 2014.

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