WMBFNews.com | Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC | News, Weather, SportsGeorgetown schools keep safety first

Georgetown schools keep safety first

By A.J. Ross - bio | email

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – Georgetown County School District officials say they plan to use money from a new federal grant to buy eight stationary metal detectors for their high schools.

The grant is a part of the 'Secure Our Schools' program, which helps different school districts improve security in schools and on school grounds.

Kelly Kelley, risk and property manager for the Georgetown County School District, says the board has not decided what other security resources they would like to spend the money on. 

"We're going to be looking into what other school districts do and going out and visiting some school districts,” said Kelley. 

Kelley says the school district currently uses 30 hand wands to randomly search students.  With the federal money, the district will place two stationary metal detectors inside each high school.

The Georgetown County Police Department and Georgetown County Sherriff’s Office are also working hand-in-hand with the school district.

Capt. Nelson Brown of the Georgetown Police Department says every school resource officer has to go through a special training course to not only understand what to do in the event of an emergency, but also to get a better understanding with working for kids.

Kelley says part of the reason the Georgetown County School District was awarded the federal grant is because the Georgetown Sherriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies have been more than willing to help.

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