The Virginia Department of Education announced Dec. 30 that $12 million in state School Security Equipment Grants will go to protect students, faculty and visitors in 583 schools in 93 school divisions, including those in Franklin and Isle of Wight County.

The VDOE press release continued by stating that the grants will pay for video monitoring systems, voice and video internal communications systems, school bus interior cameras, mass notification systems, visitor-identification systems, access control systems, two-way radios, security vestibules and other security upgrades.

“The health and safety of students and school staff is paramount,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said. “These grants are an important part of equipping schools with the systems necessary to mitigate security risks, detect threats and connect schools with first responders. The commonwealth continues to lead the nation in proactively addressing school safety as VDOE works in partnership with other state agencies and local school divisions to keep students, faculty and visitors safe in our schools.”

The criteria for making the awards — developed by VDOE and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services — give priority to schools most in need of modern security equipment, schools with relatively high numbers of offenses, schools with equipment needs identified by a school security audit and schools in divisions least able to afford security upgrades.

The release indicated that Franklin City Public Schools is receiving $192,000 for Franklin High School, Joseph P. King Jr. Middle School and S.P. Morton Elementary School.

Isle of Wight County Schools is receiving $231,200 for Windsor High School, Windsor Elementary School, Smithfield High School and Smithfield Middle School.