School Safety
Measures and policies to protect students and staff
Latest stories
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Durham Council 'confident' in gun violence action plan as NC Central students urge action
NC Central students ask Durham council to take action following a shooting near campus that injured two students. Durham Police are in the process of passing a gun violence plan. Members tell WRAL they are confident it will effectively lower violence.
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Student safety: How many schools in your child's district have AEDs?
State lawmakers passed a law that provides $4 million to help ensure AEDs are accessible on school campuses this summer.
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Jordan High School on secure status
Jordan High School was placed on secure status on Wednesday afternoon due to suspicious activity.
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In Depth | Teens talk bullying and phones in schools
WRAL talked with students to get better sense of the state of schools. They had mixed thoughts on cell phone policies and efforts to curb bullying.
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Say Something: Enhancing school safety through anonymous reporting
The Say Something program, implemented in schools to allow students to report concerns anonymously, aims to prevent tragedies like school shootings, inspired by the Sandy Hook incident.
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In Depth: NC school tip line, threat assessment teams work to stop violence before it starts
One of the many tools used to help keep schools safe is what's known as "Behavioral Threat Assessments." They are now required in all North Carolina schools.
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‘We deserve to be kids.’ NC schools are improving safety, but do students think it’s working?
North Carolina leaders are ramping up school safety measures. Crime is down, but students have more complicated feelings.
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New year, new changes: What to know about Wake County's updated security protocols
A new five-action plan replaces the district's previous three color system. Will it give administrators more clarity and flexibility during emergency response?
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School districts strengthen security while weapons possession offenses drop to 20-year low
Weapons possession offenses in North Carolina public schools fell sharply during the 2024-25 school year, reaching their lowest level since statewide records began in 2006-07, according to prior WRAL reporting and the Department of Public Instruction.
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Wake students feel safe at school, but they say a lot could be improved
About 46% of students said bathrooms need safety improvements, far higher than the school locations that received the second-most votes: Outside on school grounds and the cafeteria, which both received votes from 16% of students.
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Wake schools will spend $5.6M to repair 3 schools they say were improperly built
Work started at the three schools -- Creech Road Elementary in Garner, Davis Drive Elementary in Cary and Durant Road Elementary in Raleigh -- this weekend. School board and district leaders are still working out whether they can take legal action over what they say was improper construction.
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Lockdown lifted at North Garner Middle after threat, district spokesperson says
Sky 5 flew over North Garner Middle School around 4 p.m. and saw several officers patrolling the school grounds with long-range weapons and tactical gear.
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Students released from Jordan High School in Durham after lockdown lifted
The Durham Police Department and Durham Sheriff's Office found no weapons on campus.
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'Learned my lesson': Wake school board chairman addresses speeding ticket in school zone
The Cary police citation said Swanson was driving 47 miles per hour next to West Cary Middle School at 2:42 p.m. on Jan. 9, which was just 27 minutes after the school's 2:15 p.m. dismissal.
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Multiple lockdowns at Triangle schools reflect increase in threats to schools nationwide
Multiple schools in the Triangle have been on lockdown every school day this week due to bomb and other weapon threats.
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Rising costs, student safety top Wake superintendent's annual 'state of the schools' address
Wake County Public School System Superintendent Robert Taylor talked about the challenges the district faces in a "State of the Schools" address on Friday afternoon.
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State of schools: Security, student safety to be addressed at Wake County district update
Parents can learn more about plans and priorities for Wake County's public schools at a State of the Schools address on Friday.
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1 in custody from social media threat toward E.E. Smith High
Fayetteville police will increase security after a social media threat was made against E.E. Smith High School.
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Wake school board committee weighs security priorities as security fund grows to $30M
The board's Safety and Security Committee discussed the upcoming emergency response protocol, schools that serve as community emergency shelters, and potential infrastructure upgrades.
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More drugs, fewer weapons found in schools, crime data shows
More than 99% of students were not involved in a reportable crime on campus, said Michael Maher, chief accountability officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Most schools reported only zero to five criminal offenses at their school last year, he said.
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Wake County School Board settles with family of teen killed in 2023 high school stabbing
The family will receive $800,000, per the terms of the settlement announced this week.
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Wake parents, superintendent clash over school safety comments
A lengthy meeting with the Wake County superintendent has left some parents upset about the school system's approach to safety.
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Wake schools to start training for new security protocols
The school system, like many across North Carolina and the nation, has adopted the Standard Response Protocol. That's a set of five types of response to various potential safety emergencies, such as evacuating in the event of a bomb threat.
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Wake schools plans training on new safety method replacing 'code red'
The school system, like many across North Carolina and the nation, has adopted the Standard Response Protocol. That's a set of five types of response to various potential safety emergencies, such as evacuating in the event of a bomb threat.
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Wake schools plans survey of high school students on school safety and security
The survey, which is scheduled to be presented to the school board Wednesday, will ask students about how schools can be safer.
