RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond Public School officials are addressing changes to graduation ceremonies this spring and trying to make them safer.
The new measures to address security concerns at graduation ceremonies were announced earlier this week, after last month’s guilty verdict in the 2023 Huguenot High School graduation shooting. Extra security, metal detectors and no-re entry are just some of the new rules included the 14-page document.
Richmond parent Charlene Riley said that, with these policy changes, the school district is putting a bandage on the larger issue of gun violence.
“It’s not the school’s problem to deal with every issue that’s brought in from the community,” Riley said. “You can provide security at the graduation, but what about outside of the graduation? What about doing [during] regular school hours?”
Riley said pouring resources into mental counseling and tackling poverty are ways to prevent incidents like last year’s shooting.
“I hope that we’re able to live in a society with less gun violence. But also, instead of us just saying that we want less gun violence, I want us to actually put resources and money into making that a reality.”
Riley said she’s planning to run for Richmond City School Board to make sure these issues are getting fixed. Students and parents can expect these new rules to go into effect in May.
