HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Henrico School Board did not directly address issues with weapons detectors at their first board meeting since the new school year began Monday.
However, Superintendent Dr. Amy Cashwell did answer questions from CBS6 after the board meeting.
Cashwell said that the delays caused by the weapons detectors have not occurred at all schools.
They are finding that some schools are having no issues while others could be taking 20 to 35 minutes, according to Cashwell.
The district stated they expected some delays in the first few days as they implemented the new process for the weapons detectors.
Cashwell said this is because they believe it’s a change in routine for kids, and they have to learn what they need to take out of their bags in order to pass through the detectors.
She also said each school procedure is unique and new tweaks would need to be made.
However, Cashwell says that administration is making those tweaks daily and the process will only continue to speed up.
“It’s natural when you are adjusting to something new it may take longer to learn the routine but what we are seeing is our staff and students have been tremendous at being flexible and adjusting,” Cashwell said.
Cashwell said she appreciates the patience of families and students. She asks people to remember why the community was in such strong support of this measure - because they wanted this additional, critical layer of protection for students at school each day.
The district decided to take this measure following a Spring 2023 survey of the community which reported that 75% of people said safety measures like weapons detectors would make them feel safer.
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