CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle schools’ top citizen leader is pleased with the progress made to speed up weapons screenings that had slowed school day starts for many students at the three high schools.

“We are screening and actually picking up a few things and keeping our kids safe, which is the whole point,” Albemarle County School Board Chair Kate Acuff told WINA Morning News Friday.

The new protocol began along with the school year after being piloted at varsity football and basketball games last year.  Acuff told WINA Morning News a couple of weeks ago something needed to be done to speed the process up, and quickly.

Students complained at the early September School Board meeting they were being made late to class.

Acuff said, “It needs to get better quickly, because kids are eager to be in school and you don’t want to stymie their enthusiasm before they get in the front door.”

The screening equipment manufacturer assured school leaders the situation Albemarle was experiencing was not unusual at the outset of the program. Acuff told WINA things have indeed improved as students are more accustomed to what they need to do to go through the screening, and staff is a bit better educated in executing the process, as well.

Click here for what Acuff talked about two weeks prior.