I-Team: North Carolina changing the way students are protected in the classroom
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- In 2012, the nation watched in horror as a bloody scene unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary in what became one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
States across the country were forced to rethink the way they protect students, scrambling to make schools intruder-proof.
"It became very apparent to us we needed to ramp up our security systems for public schools," said Dr. Ben Matthews, Safe and Healthy Schools Support Division Dir. at the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction.
Matthews oversees building plans for new schools across North Carolina and reviews every option on the table from blueprints to the fortress-like materials proposed for new construction.
His team is now studying bulletproof glass built to withstand .44 magnum bullets.
It's the same glass installed at the Pentagon after 9/11.
Matthews is also reviewing bulletproof whiteboard material that comes small enough to fit inside a student's backpack and can be used a shield in the event of a shooting on campus.
"It's an expense item, and the bottom line, unfortunately in many of these instances is having enough funds to do these things," said Matthews.
But some local school districts aren't letting money stand in the way of safety.
Richland Creek Elementary in Wake County has some of the latest technology, including a new buzz-in system for visitors and a vestibule inside the school's entrance. Soon, each new school in the county will have them.
Schools across the state will get an extra layer of security. The N.C. General Assembly mandated during the 2013 session that every public school must have a panic alarm installed by July 2015.
Lawmakers set aside $2 million in matching funds to help fund the devices.
Johnston County Schools already have them.
"When the button is hit, it automatically sends the alert and authorities know what that means," said David Pearce, Principal at Four Oaks Elementary.
Pearce calls it an added peace of mind, easily accessed by teachers and administrators in several locations of his school.
Four Oaks Elementary also now has a keyless entry system at each door.
They're monitored by security cameras strategically placed to view every corner of the campus.
"I can see this anywhere that I'm on our school's network," said Pearce, who can also scan the cameras from his cell phone.
"I knew keeping kids safe would be part of my job and educating our future, but I never thought I would have to be worried about the livelihood," said Pearce. "We all are prepared and know that it could happen to us."
