West Memphis schools are heading into Tuesday with more than 4,300 students returning to campuses protected by a broader security package: body cameras for administrators, additional school resource officers, weapons detection systems and new emergency radios. The changes arrive alongside a major grade reshuffle, with ninth graders joining the high school campus for the first time.
Body Cameras Will Stay Inside The District
Principals and assistant principals at the high school and two middle schools will wear body cameras during the school day, according to Action News 5. The cameras are intended for discipline-related conversations and other student interactions, with recordings kept on a hard drive rather than in the cloud. Access will be limited to district-level and building-level administrators, officials said, and the footage will not be posted publicly.
Weapons Detection And SRO Coverage Expand
The West Memphis School District began adding security measures at its secondary schools last year, including weapons detectors and new safety protocols, according to a message from the West Memphis School District. The district has described the upgrades as part of a broader effort to make student and staff safety a central priority.
The city’s official description of its SRO program says officers are expected to do more than patrol campuses: They also teach law-related lessons, counsel students and parents, and serve as positive role models, according to the City of West Memphis.
Radios, Grade Changes And A Possible New High School
The district now has 17 SROs, three more than last school year, while four weapons detection units remain at the high school campus, Action News 5 reports. The systems screen students, parents and visitors during the school day and can flag guns, knives and vapes. The school board also approved $80,000 in two-way radios for administrators, a move Superintendent Eric Foister said should improve communication during lockdowns and tornadoes instead of relying on group texts.
The security rollout is unfolding as the district adjusts to a new high school configuration and looks beyond the coming semester. West Memphis is pursuing state and federal funding, along with corporate partnerships, for a replacement high school that could open by 2030; the current building is more than 60 years old, while the district plans to retain its performing arts center and arena.
