The Superintendent for Wake County Schools reaffirmed the system's commitment to school safety and security Monday after Wake County Public School Systems met with county commissioners to discuss budget priorities for the upcoming school year.
On the list of budget priorities during the meeting, school security upgrades appeared to be missing from the agendas.
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Superintendent Catty Moore said while school security wasn't a topic of discussion Monday night, doesn't mean it's not a topic of discussion for the school system, stating the meeting Monday night was to get ready for budget development season.
"School security and safety has been a priority, an ongoing priority," Moore said. "As you know, we are working through the recommendations of a security audit that was done by a national consulting firm. there are also reminders on a daily basis that we need to take a look at that."
The concern over security comes after a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead Monday. Three of the victims were children.
Schools in surrounding counties have already installed weapons detections systems, with one such system catching a man impersonating a police officer.
When asked if the state's largest school district was considering weapons detection systems, Moore said they haven't ruled anything out yet.
"There are no options off the table," Moore explained. "Right now, we know that is a piece, that is a layer and we need to se how it fits in the remainder of the recommendations we have."
A sentiment echoed by Mark Strickland, Chief of Facilities and Operations for Wake Schools.
"As we move forward, we will address that in new construction and also in existing schools," Strickland said. "We are working on a plan to implement safety priorities."
Moore added one of the most important moves going forward is to reassure parents their children are safe in the county's schools.
"The important thing is the important thing really is to have open and honest communication between students, families and school staff and personnel," Moore said. "Collaboration with law enforcement partners is key as well."
The safety and security committee will meet Tuesday in a closed-door session to go over other recommendations.
Catty Moore presents her budget proposal April 11, the last one before she retires this summer.