Barrow schools will hire more school officers after Apalachee High mass shooting 

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - The Barrow County Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of more school police officers on Tuesday evening, nearly three weeks after the mass shooting at Apalachee High School.  

Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith recommended increasing the number of school resource officers (SROs) across the district from 17 to 25, with at least two at every high school and one at every middle and elementary school. 

"We’ve got the best daggone team in the state of Georgia when it comes to schools," Sheriff Smith said in the meeting. "My kids go here too. And I’m proud to be a product of here." 

Earlier in the day, students returned to the school for the first time since the incident, attending a half day of classes. 

Two parents from Apalachee High who attended the meeting expressed concerns over their children's safety.  

"I sent my daughter to school today because I felt like my back was against the wall," Tinya Brown, a parent of a student at Apalachee High School, said. "I felt like I had to send her." 

Another parent, Judie Lea, said the additional officers won't be enough.  

"We need metal detectors, which will deter a student from taking [a weapon] into that school," she said. 

In addition to increasing the presence of school officers, the board also approved temporary classroom pods for Apalachee students.  

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More than 30,000 square feet of the school building remains closed off following the incident, according to the district. 

"All of our students are in school," said Dr. Dallas LaDuff, superintendent of the Barrow County School System. "And we’ve proved that love will continue to prevail in Barrow County." 

The costs for the additional officers will be shared between the school system and the sheriff’s office, a district official said. While the school system is still considering further adjustments to its security protocols, a school spokesperson noted that not all changes would be made public.