Exclusive: Wake County public schools to take closer look at security

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Good news for Wake County public school students and parents - the system is doing a comprehensive assessment of school security.

The man whose company will conduct the security assessment says the Wake County Public School System is already doing a good job with security but there is always room for more safety measures.

"I don't know of any district in the country that can't use some improvement," Curt Lavarello of the School Safety Advocacy Council told ABC11.

He added, "And the fact that Wake County is opening up their doors to see where those opportunities exist should make parents feel very, very comfortable."

He says his Florida company has contracted with WCPSS to begin the study next month assessing each and every one of the system's 191 schools.

"We come and we look at both what they're doing well and where there are gaps and they can improve upon safety and security."

School officials say the contract is for six months and they hope to have a full report including suggestions they can begin implementing in early Spring.

"Parents should feel good about this from a standpoint of us taking a deeper look, somebody from the outside looking at what we're doing," said Russ Smith the WCPSS director of security.

The mother of one Cary High School student certainly approves.

"If they're going to improve the security of the students in Wake County that's a beautiful thing," Rebecca Cumby told ABC11.

Both Lavarello and Smith say the study won't just look at active shooter scenarios but any hazard that may affect students.