CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. -- Four Craven County elementary schools are hiring school resource officers this school year.

• The school system received a $133,332 grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
• Schools included are James W. Smith Elementary, Roger Bell New Tech Academy, J.T. Barber Elementary, and Oaks Road Academy
• The schools are currently in the hiring process

Craven County Schools received a $133,332 grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to secure their schools with local law enforcement.

Schools chosen for the new security measure include James W. Smith Elementary, Roger Bell New Tech Academy, J.T. Barber Elementary, and Oaks Road Academy.

The schools are currently working with New Bern Police, Havelock Police, and the Sheriff’s Department to interview and hire officers.

Other middle and high schools in Craven County already have SROs and the Board of Education felt it was time to offer the same security to elementary schools.

“When you take a look at the news there have been school shootings across our country and they’re not always high schools. Some of them have been at elementary schools,” said Craven County Schools Student Services Director Debbie Hodges. “So they give us a sense of security from the threats on the outside coming in.”

Hodges said the schools are in the process of hiring officers and hope to have them patrolling the halls soon after the beginning of the school year on Aug. 27.