RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond School Board voted overwhelmingly Monday night in support of the administration’s proposal to add metal detectors to every middle school in the district.
Eight school board members voted in support of the plan, while Kendra Gibson abstained.
Currently, there are metal detectors installed in all public high schools in Richmond, the alternative school, the technical center, and Boushall Middle School.
In March, a student caught with an unloaded gun at Boushall raised several red flags.
It marked the 4th firearm and the 16th weapon to be removed from school property in the 2022-23 school year, according to data from Richmond Public Schools.
While administrators decided to install metal detectors at Boushall last school year, the safety and security at the district’s other six middle schools remained a concern, prompting Superintendent Jason Kamras to propose metal detectors in all middle schools across the district.
“I’m regularly in receipt of notifications that weapons have been brought into our schools to include middle schools,” Richmond School Board Member Jonathan Young said. “This is unacceptable.”
At Monday night's meeting, the administration released results of a survey that showed 61% of RPS students, staff and families agreed to add metal detectors as a safety precaution, while 23% agreed that metal detectors were harmful to a student’s educational experience.
The use of metal detectors in schools has long been controversial as proponents argue it is necessary, while opponents say it contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline or false feelings of safety.
“I’m glad my children have graduated because I wouldn’t want them to walk through a metal detector every single day,” Richmond School Board Chair Stephanie Rizzi said. “I don’t think anyone ever wants that for their children.”
While Kamras has acknowledged the controversy surrounding metal detectors, he said there was no clear evidence that they are a major contributing factor to students ending up in the juvenile justice system.
He said data also demonstrated students, families, and staff overwhelmingly support the use of metal detectors in helping keep students and staff safe.
Some parents told CBS 6 that they wanted more resources to help students with mental health and emotional needs.
Kamras said there were long-term plans for getting more resources in place but said there was no available funding in this year’s budget.
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