Virginia will spend more than $27 million to increase the number of police officers in schools under a state budget lawmakers sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday.
The bulk of the money will likely fund police positions in elementary schools because most middle and high schools in Virginia are already staffed by police officers, Donna Michaelis, the director of the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety, tells Axios.
What they’re saying: Youngkin pushed for the spending, calling it an important step to keep kids safe in schools.
But the role of police in schools has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years over concerns about kids getting charged for petty infractions. Virginia schools referred more Black students to law enforcement than any other state during the 2017-2018 school year, according to an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity.
