LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (7News) — As the Loudoun County Superintendent and the school board prepare Loudoun County Public Schools’ next budget, 7News is asking if school board members are going to install weapon detection systems at school entrances as multiple parents have requested.
On Tuesday, the Loudoun County School Board passed a resolution to update the Student Handbook to include information about parents’ legal obligations regarding the secure storage of firearms.
During Tuesday’s school board meeting, some parents said more needs to be done to keep kids safe in school.
“I literally don’t know a single person that does not support safe storage, but where is the protection and the safety for our children who are in school with other children who have known threats, who have been arrested and who are back in school, and my daughter’s terrified to go to school with him,” a parent told the school board before being interrupted by the school board chair.
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Loudoun County School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield interrupted multiple parents and eventually ended public comment when parents brought up their concerns about a student who has ties to the MS-13 gang, threatened to kill a student, and in a separate incident, was arrested for carrying a loaded gun before school. The student is also in the U.S. illegally, according to sources familiar with the situation.
7News was the first to report that LCPS placed the student in Loudoun Valley High School at the beginning of this school year.
Some parents are concerned about what could happen going forward.
On Wednesday, 7News asked all nine Loudoun County School Board members if they support establishing sensors and technology at the entrances of all schools that detect weapons as some parents have requested.
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All middle and high schools in Prince William County have artificial intelligence weapon detection systems at entrances and people who visit school board meetings at the administration building in Loudoun County must clear weapon detection systems before entering the building. However, LCPS schools do not have weapon detection systems at the entrances of all schools.
“I’d like to learn more about the system they use in Prince William County and its cost,” Loudoun County School Board Member Kari LaBell told 7News. “Another concern I have about metal detectors and having students go through them is that there is sometimes a long line of students waiting. The busses all come at the same time, and there’s sometimes a long line of students waiting outside the building to pass through the metal detectors, and at that point, there could be a shooter in the bushes, and he’s got a wonderful range of targets.”
Loudoun County School Board Member Deana Griffiths said she scheduled a meeting with the head of LCPS security to review safety measures and discuss opportunities for improvement.
“I am aware that several parents have been advocating for weapon sensing technology,” Loudoun County School Board Member Anne Donohue told 7News. “I do not have enough facts yet about the capabilities of such systems, cost, and any possible ‘loopholes’ or downsides to have a position yet on whether to install them. It’s important to consider every available option and weigh whether it will be an effective way to protect our students and staff without transforming our schools into prisons, which I believe would have a negative effect on the mental health of our LCPS community.”
7News also asked Donohue and LaBell, “What are you doing as a school board member to keep students safe from violence, gun violence, and gang activity at Loudoun Valley High School and other schools?”
“As a former prosecutor, the safety of our LCPS community is my top priority,” Donohue answered. “I have met and talked with [Loudoun County] Sheriff Chapman, I have reached out to high school principals, and I am constantly requesting additional information from administration staff regarding our security measures. I believe the passage of our firearm safe storage resolution last night was an important step to keep our students safe from violence, but it is certainly not the end of the issue; we must always be considering what additional steps to take in order to keep our LCPS community safe.”
“I’m pushing for SROs,” LaBell told 7News. “I also rewrote in my committee, in one of my committees, the student behavior and accountability committee, the rules for student expression to keep them from going outside the building to express their thoughts. We’re trying to spread the word you need to secure your guns.”
“If you see something, say something,” LaBell added. “If parents know who in the community is selling drugs, or who in the community is a member of MS-13, I know it’s dangerous, but they need to report it. We can’t do anything about it if we don’t know where it’s coming from, the threats are coming from, and that’s very important. They need to report it to the sheriff’s department. They are very active in tracking down these people, so that would be one of the better things to do.”
7News is still waiting to hear from Loudoun County School Board Chair Mansfield and five other school board members if they support weapon detection systems at the entrances of all schools in Loudoun County.