CARY, N.C. (WTVD) – Two weeks before the start of the traditional calendar year, school and district leaders in Wake County met Monday evening to discuss, among other things, safety.

“The Board of Supervisors and the Board of Education share a common goal: protecting the community’s most valuable asset, our children and those who educate them,” said Dr. Clinton Robinson, chief of staff and director of strategic planning for Wake County Schools.

The district announced the results of a 2019 safety assessment, which included improving visitor programs and door locking mechanisms.

“What do we do, from fights to fires,” said Shinica Thomas, chair of the Board of Commissioners. “We need to make sure the buildings are safe, thinking about the rain we just had, the flooding and building safety.”

A number of things were implemented last school year, including a new bag policy at high school sporting events.

This year there will be a new anonymous reporting app called “Say Something”.

There are also partnerships with law enforcement, including the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees security at more than 20 schools in the county.

“We care about every student, we care about their well-being, so I am pleased with this school year and confident that we will do our job,” said Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe.

Other measures include installing new cameras and building additional fences.

There is also talk of setting up a real-time security center to have central control over all operations in Wake County schools.