CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – A week into new weapons screenings at Albemarle’s three high schools, the progress report says “needs improvement”. That from School Board Chair Kate Acuff on WINA Morning News after students spoke at this week’s school board meeting complaining the screenings are making them late to class.
“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,” Acuff said.
She said they were able to pilot the screenings last year at varsity football and basketball games. But when it came to screening some 2000 students at Albemarle, and 1000-plus at Western Albemarle and Monticello high schools, “we hit snags, to say the least”.
Acuff said the company that makes the machines assures the county they have these machines all over the country, and it’s not unusual to be less efficient at the beginning and it will improve. She said school leadership will make adjustments.
“Clearly we need to make adjustments on the training of the screeners who are there, and maybe the training of the students.”
The good news: “It’s already improving, it’s only been a week,” according to Acuff.
