BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Middle schools in the Barrow County School System will get weapon detectors this month.
The Board of Education voted unanimously to make the change at Tuesday’s board meeting.
The board also voted to approve a contract that allows the district to hire clinicians trained in therapy to work with Apalachee High School staff.
Families had a chance to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting, and board members heard from a new voice in the push for security upgrades.
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His name is Ismael Angulo, Jr. His brother, Christian, was one of two students killed in the shooting rampage on Sept. 4, 2024. Two teachers also died.
“You failed to protect my brother and everyone else that day,” Angulo told the board of education. “Change the way you handle threats, and do the proper assessments to keep this from happening.”
From lockdown policies to the weapon detection system alarms, families told the board, policies are not enforced consistently.
“You’re not protecting our kids,” Steve Gray said.
He and another parent, Jonathan Hardy, said portable classrooms are vulnerable and doors to the school are often left propped open.
“Let’s fence the pods,” Hardy said. “Let’s make sure teachers are monitoring the doors so access to the building isn’t wide open to the public.”
One parent cried when discussing the pace of change.
“I am frustrated with the lack of progress,” she told the board.
Families have criticized the board’s decision to install weapon detectors in district high schools after a second student brought a gun to Apalachee High School in Jan. The board said it was able to expedite the installation because staff had done the research necessary to hire a company to install the technology.
The board approved hiring eight school resource officers immediately after the shooting in September.
A staff member told the board last week that the hiring process has been slow. The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office has hired three resource officers. One is in training, five other positions remain vacant.
In October 2024, the board approved the purchase of classroom telephones for teachers.
Barrow County School System said since September, there have been on-site resources at Apalachee High School offered to students and staff including EMDR therapy, therapy dogs, and visits from trauma psychologists.
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