Weapons Screening Floated For Fairfax County High Schools

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A weapons screening at some high schools in Fairfax County could be considered as a pilot program.

Last Thursday, the Fairfax County School Board received proposed uses of carryover funds from the 2023 fiscal year, which ended on June 30. That includes $3 million proposed for a pilot program to install weapons screening equipment at selected high schools.

"We are looking at different technologies that would detect weapons as students or staff enter the schools," Superintendent Michelle Reid told the School Board. "Our staff have been visiting surrounding jurisdictions as really all of the divisions within our region are looking at technologies and softwares that are going to mitigate security risks."

Weapons screening has been launched in Alexandria City Public Schools high school and middle school campuses, as well as Osbourn High School in Manassas City Public Schools. Prince William County Public Schools is planning a launch in the upcoming school year.

Mount Vernon District representative Karen Corbett Sanders said she was supportive upon first hearing about the policy but would need to know more details.

It was unclear what high schools would be considered for the pilot program. Leigh Burden, chief financial officer for FCPS, said the School Board could discuss security matters further in a closed session.

The School Board will be discussing the carryover budget more before a vote on Aug. 31, new School Board chair Elaine Tholen said at Thursday's meeting.

FCPS has $127.5 million in carryover funds that the School Board will vote to use. A significant share — $30 million — is proposed to go toward compensatory services for special education students. The compensatory services are part of an agreement with the federal government after a federal investigation found FCPS did not properly provide services to students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several School board members noted the high amount of carryover funds from the last fiscal year. The carryover funds were largely a result of unused salary and benefits due to staff vacancies and turnover.

"It is not just Fairfax County Public Schools that has an increased carryover due to vacancies, the Great Resignation, the pandemic, all of the things that we've experienced for the last three year," said Burden. "Every single public organization that I am aware of has had increased fallout at the end of the year because of the things I just mentioned."