West Virginia Department of Education officials told lawmakers that the state needs $258 million to complete updates that local school leaders say are necessary for improving safety.
Jonah Adkins, director of the department’s Office of Safety & Tiered Support Systems, said West Virginia school systems have spent $23 million on security using counties’ financial contributions, such as levies and taxes, but that it isn’t nearly enough, MetroNews reports.
“Our school districts are working with the resources that they have available to them to address those needs as they arise but obviously there is a greater need,” he said during a meeting with lawmakers Sunday.
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There has been an uptick in school threats in the state, prompting Governor Jim Justice to launch a school safety task for in September. Last month, Justice proposed $1 million for school safety funding but noted that the money “wouldn’t go far enough,” according to West Virginia Watch. Adkins said there are a few grants available for counties to use for safety upgrades but that they are “narrow in scope in what those monies can be used for.”
Adkins told lawmakers that cost is keeping schools from implementing safety upgrades and that the department “has no money to give.”
Hundreds of West Virginia Schools Still Need Security Vestibules
Among the most expensive improvements needed are security vestibules, commonly referred to as mantraps, which consist of a small space between two interlocking doors. One set of the doors must close before the other one can be opened. Adkins told lawmakers that the state should prioritize these secure entries in each school, which is estimated to cost around $87 million.
According to the Education Department’s annual school facility safety and security measure report, 272 schools still don’t have these control systems in place. The report does note that number was 299 last year and 327 the year before.
“So they are trending down,” said Micah Whitlow, director of the department’s Office of School Facilities. “It’s just maybe not as fast as hopefully we could.”
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The report says the average cost for implementing a security vestibule is $319,000, but Whitlow said the cost could be significantly higher for some schools.
“Some of them could be super complicated and be a million (dollars), depending on the configuration and age of the building and some might be very simple and be $100,000,” he said. “It’s a wide range number due to the different building circumstances. In some cases it might be as easy as adding a layer of doors, but in most it’s quite expensive the amount of work you have to do.”
West Virginia schools are also requesting $32 million for window and door security upgrades, $32 million for security cameras, $25 million for weapons detection systems, and $30 million for school resource officers. Adkins also noted 177 schools still need additional emergency access roads because they only have one road in and out .
“When you look at that total request for state funds, that’s a pretty large number obviously, but we would love to work with Homeland Security and a team of your choosing to kind of take a deeper look and further prioritize these needs because we know we would never be able to meet all of this at once, but if we could chip away a little bit each year I believe we could make some good headway,” he said. “I make a suggestion that we work together to prioritize these needs.”
West Virginia Lawmakers Question State School Safety Funding
Several lawmakers asked questions regarding what other financial resources local school systems have.
“But we’re providing nothing, the state Legislature, to support schools?” asked Senator Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia. “Correct,” responded Adkins.
Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, asked whether any shortfalls on school security funding would be the responsibility of the individual countries.
“That’s on the county to pay for, correct? So whether it’s additional access road or metal detectors or cameras in these schools, if these counties can’t afford it then they don’t have it, right?” he said. “And basically, it’s on us, the Legislature, to provide it.”
