VINTON, Va. – Textbooks, pencils, and ballistic armor. That’s the reality for students today.
“At first I was like, ‘This is crazy. I can’t even believe that we are looking into having a product like this,’” said Erin McKee, an employee at CW Armor in Vinton.
The company designs and sells panels made of bullet-proof material that easily fit in a backpack for students of all ages.
“Different weights, different shapes, different protection levels, different price ranges,” said McKee.
McKee says there’s been an uptick in inquiries since Monday’s tragedy in Nashville.
“I think it’s become a necessity, just like crayons and trapper keepers and Chromebooks,” said McKee.
According to the most recent data from the CDC, guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S.
CW Armor also sells ballistic doors, shields and glass available for interested school districts.
“I just pray that that will never happen here,” said Radford City Public Schools Superintendent Robert Graham.
He said the district looked into bulletproof glass and other technology to increase school safety, but the price tag put them off.
“We just couldn’t afford it at that time. That doesn’t mean that we won’t do it in the near future,” said Graham. “It would be very helpful if we could receive some more state and federal funding for security in our schools.”
The Commonwealth ranks 40th in the country for school funding. And after a budgeting error earlier this year, Virginia schools are now $201 million short in state funding — a further strain on already strained budgets.
McKee hopes the ballistic panels can serve as an extra layer of safety that students never have to use.
“What can we do to protect ourselves? And this is something that is very easy to do,” said McKee.
She recommends that school districts work with their PTA’s, school boards, and local law enforcement agencies to raise money for additional security measures to help with costs.