MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tens of thousands of kids attending Memphis Shelby County Schools head back to class Monday, and many parents have school safety and security at the top of their minds.
ABC24 sat down with MSCS interim superintendent John Barker to learn what they’re doing to keep children safe.
He said he can't go into extensive detail about all their new improvements because of safety concerns. But did tell ABC24 district is using the $5.5M school security budget on cameras and securing the perimeter.
"What we are trying to do is make sure our perimeter is safe so that those doors are not opened or propped open and are only accessible to people who have reason to be in the school," He said. "And while teachers are in the classroom, ensure the doors are locked."
He said the district will be installing high-tech cameras in all the buildings. These new, upgraded cameras will be able to zoom in on particular people and doors.
The district also wants to make sure it has proper prevention and response mechanisms in place in the case an intruder enters the building.
Besides making sure the building is secured from a mass shooter, MSCS been battling to keep guns off school grounds. Last school year the district found at least 14 guns in elementary and high schools.
MSCS Security and Safety Consultant Toney Armstrong conducted a safety measures assessment at schools across the district last year after a student shot his classmate at Cummings K-8.
Barker said they can't release what Armstrong found, and they didn't tell us how they plan to keep students from bringing guns to school this year. However, Barker said that the district would continue to improve safety and security throughout the year.