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Clarke County Board of Education to vote on buying ballistic shields

A ballistic shield like the ones being considered by CCSD officials.
Security Pro USA
A ballistic shield like the ones being considered by CCSD officials.

When the Clarke County Board of Education meets tonight, board members are expected to vote on the purchase of ballistic rifle shields for CCSD police to use in an active shooter incident. School district officials say the shields provide, "a safety and tactical advantage should they ever be needed."

The shields come with a price tag of $5,000 each. School district officials want to buy 25. According to school district documentation, the shields can withstand AR-15 and AK-47 rounds.

If the purchase is approved, the district plans to put one shield in each of the CCSD’s schools, as well as in other “strategic locations.”

Martin Matheny is WUGA's Program Director and a host and producer of our local news program 'Athens News Matters.' He started at WUGA in 2012 as a part-time classical music host and still hosts WUGA's longest-running local program 'Night Music' which is heard on WUGA and GPB Classical. He lives in Normaltown with his wife, Shaye and dog, Murphy.