Fulton County Schools has hired 16 additional police officers and four security staffers and plans to hire six more security workers by next school year.
The extra protection comes after a safety committee recommended adding more police and security personnel in response to growing concerns across the nation about how to keep schools safe. The school board approved the group's recommendation at a meeting last month.
The 16 new police officers will help patrol elementary schools and respond to incidents. Police officers already were working at each of the district’s middle and high schools.
The district also is hiring 10 non-sworn employees to bolster its security efforts. Their duties include monitoring video surveillance systems. Four of those security workers have been hired, and six more will start by the beginning of the next budget year, July 1, a district spokeswoman said.
The security plan also includes creating an online mental health resource center that provides resources for students.
Adding 16 more police officers will cost the district $1.2 million, according to district documents. The cost of hiring 10 security staffers is $311,300.
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