February 9, 2024, News Release

(ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Virginia)—More than four million children in America live with an unsecured, loaded firearm in the home, according to an analysis published in the Journal of Urban Health in May of 2018.

At the conclusion of the Albemarle County School Board meeting on January 25, 2024, At-Large representative Allison Spillman noted that gun violence is the leading cause of death in children in the U.S. and advocated that the school division should be working in partnership with families, guardians, caregivers, and community members to “avoid the harm and tragedy that shootings of any kind cause in the spaces in which we live, learn, work and play.”

“I really feel like all students and members of our school community deserve to feel safe and welcomed and included,” said Spillman, before making a motion to direct the superintendent and staff to draft a resolution on the importance of safe and secure firearm storage. The board approved the motion.

The draft resolution, which aims to educate community members on preventative measures to increase student and school safety, was unanimously approved by the school board during their meeting on February 8, 2024. The resolution directs the superintendent to send an informational letter to families stressing the importance of safe firearm storage around children and teens.

“Our concern for student safety doesn’t end the moment a student steps off the bus or leaves the school campus,” Dr. Matthew Haas, Superintendent of Schools, said. “It’s important to us that our students are safe at home so that they can come back to school safely the next day.”

This work joins the Virginia General Assembly, where House Bill No. 498 (School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of firearms in the household) would require firearm owners to store weapons and ammunition in a locked container or face a Class 4 misdemeanor charge. In addition, President Joe Biden announced on January 25, 2024, a set of legislative actions directing the Education Department and the Justice Department to share firearm storage safety with their respective communities.

“It’s one way that we can help prevent further gun-related tragedies in our community,” Haas said. “There’s no reason for us to wait for state or federal direction to start this work.”

The full content of the school board resolution is included below and can be accessed on the Albemarle County Public Schools website at k12albemarle.org/school-board/resolution-secure-storage-of-firearms.