LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg City Schools is moving forward with plans to place metal detectors in its buildings.
During Tuesday’s school board meeting, eight members voted in favor of the plan while one abstained.
Over the next two months, the district will pilot metal detectors at one high school to train staff and gather feedback. By the end of fall, the plan is to expand the program to the second high school, though the timeline could change. The district has not specified which high school will be first.
Community reactions to the decision are mixed.
JP Poindexter, father of a Lynchburg City Schools graduate, said, “You know you want to be protected... these days you just never know when somebody or something can come into the school, so I think it’s a good idea.”
Ashley Okimoto, a lifelong Lynchburg resident, disagreed, saying, “I don’t see it as being a positive thing for the school environment. I think it shows a lack of trust in the younger generation if you are putting students through metal detectors every time they enter a school.”
She added, “I also don’t think it’s going to change the dangers of a situation. If an active shooter is on the premises and you do not currently have someone there at the school with a gun capable of taking down the shooter, having a metal detector to alert you of their presence is not going to change anything.”
A local father, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “It’s just for protection… it may be unnerving. I can only imagine what it’s like for the kids to go to a school that initially doesn’t have it and now they have to walk through metal detectors. There’s a psychological aspect of that I can respect, but at the end of the day if you’re not bringing in knives and guns, what does it matter?”
The decision follows a nationwide trend as schools seek ways to keep students safe.