GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction awarded two grants to Guilford County Schools aiming to improve school safety.
$275,000 will fund new software for volunteer screening and tracking visitors at schools, officials said.
The software will also detect sex offenders and visitors banned from the schools, officials said.
"School safety is a constant battle, but a system that allows you to better track who is in your schools and when – gives you an immediate upper hand," said Andrew Jaspers, GCS Emergency Management Executive Director.
The second grant totaling $46,880 will focus on mental health training. GCS said it will work with community partner organizations to educate the schools on mental health issues and how to better help students experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and other issues.