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The Virginia Department of Education has awarded Charlotte County Public Schools (CCPS) a $15,000 School Security Equipment Grant to protect students, faculty and visitors.

According to CCPS Executive Director of Operations Brette Arbogast, the grant will be used to cover security equipment for Bacon District Elementary, Central Middle, Eureka Elementary and Phenix Elementary.

On Monday, Dec. 7, in an email interview, Arbogast said the funds would be used to purchase security cameras for school buses and buildings.

“This will be for additional cameras for school busses and cameras for front door access systems.,” he said.

The grants were part of a $12 million program to provide funds for increased school security across the state.

“Virginia is a national leader in school security and the grants announced today support our proactive approach to creating and maintaining safe learning environments,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said. “In many cases, the equipment and systems divisions will purchase with these funds address vulnerabilities identified through the commonwealth’s pioneering school security audit program.”

The criteria for making the awards — developed by VDOE and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services — give priority to schools most in need of modern security equipment, schools with relatively high numbers of offenses, schools with equipment needs identified by a school security audit, and schools in divisions least able to afford security upgrades. The program expanded this year to include funding for security equipment for school buses.

The 2013 General Assembly established the School Security Equipment Grants program in the aftermath of the Dec. 14, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.