SUFFOLK, Va. — I sat down with Suffolk Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John B. Gordon III to discuss school expansions, repairs, and the district's ongoing efforts to enhance security at elementary schools.
The City of Suffolk allocated funding for school resource officers in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget for Suffolk Public Schools. The plan calls for a total of 11 SROs to serve the district's 11 elementary schools.
Following trespassing incidents at Kilby Shores Elementary in June 2024 and at Nansemond Parkway Elementary earlier this month, I asked Gordon about the district's current safety measures.
WTKR News 3 first reported on elementary school security last April. At that time, the district had four SROs. Today, there are six officers serving Suffolk's 11 elementary schools. Gordon says the goal is to increase that number to 11 by the beginning of the school year.
"We do have SRO's but we didn't have them at the elementary so even though we have great partnerships with the police department and the sheriff's office having a consistent school resource officer at all the elementary schools continues to be a huge component of our safety and security plan," Gordon said.
Gordon says the district hopes to add five more SROs by the start of the 2026-27 school year.
