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Winston-Salem Forsyth County school board addresses new security and prevention measures

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus addresses questions from school board members during a meeting on July 1, 2021. Screenshot: KERI BROWN/WFDD

The Winston-Salem Forsyth County School Board met Thursday to address safety and prevention initiatives in the wake of recent school shootings. The system is taking a multi-pronged approach.

The meeting began with a lengthy overview of current security measures like school cameras and safety drills. Also goals like expanding control points of entry in high schools, random canine checks, and new pilot programs including random wanding checks and clear book bags.

Superintendent Tricia McManus says this is just one piece of the school safety puzzle.

“We cannot just put Band-Aid measures on things and not address the prevention,” says McManus. “What I mean is that our students come to school with trauma that they have faced — adults come to school with trauma that they've faced — and we don't even know what that looks like.”

Prevention measures include professional development training for mental health, trauma resilience and more. The district also plans to hire new counselors, school psychologists, and social-emotional learning coaches. Additional resources will be given toward early behavioral education, monitoring and intervention.

Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.

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