Report reveals 40 percent of W.Va. schools have no safe entrances

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – West Virginia Board of Education President Paul Hardesty spoke Wednesday about the lack of safe entrances at schools throughout the state.

“I would have parents call board offices and ask them, is all your schools secure, does all the schools in your district have secure entrances? Call them and if they tell you ‘no’ ask them the second question, why?” Hardesty said.

The West Virginia School Safety and Security Report was presented to board members.

The report said of almost 700 schools in the state, more than 40% percent do not have safe school entries or mantraps.

“Somewhat shocking in the fact that we have got 299 schools that do not have secure entrances,” Hardesty said.

The report said more than 50 schools do not have an exterior door number system that is visible from 200 feet in low light.

“Some rooms are not categorized in the proper way. These are things that are not real cost prohibitive. It is just things they have to get done. It is kind of lazy, if you will,” Hardesty said.

Rob Cunningham, Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, said the DHHR and the Department of Education are working with the Homeland Security to address safety issues.

Counties, charter schools and multi-county centers have requested funding for safety and security needs from lawmakers totaling more than $173 million.

That funding includes safety entrances, resource officers and weapon detection systems.

“You start looking back at the mass shootings that we have had. A lot of it is tied to complacency propping the door open, not locking your classroom door,” Cunningham said.

He said the exterior door number systems at more than 50 schools will be addressed.

“One of the things that sticks with me on a daily basis is when is it going to happen here in West Virginia? It is not a matter of if,” Hardesty said.

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