COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Cobb County School Board has approved up to $1.2 million to expand the district’s specialized school security K-9 program, adding five additional Vapor Wake detection dogs and five handlers.
The measure passed by a 5-2 vote during Thursday’s board meeting. The two board members who opposed the proposal said they wanted additional discussion in executive session before moving forward.
The funding expands a program that Superintendent Chris Ragsdale has identified as a key school safety priority.
Earlier this summer, Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with Ragsdale before the start of the school year, when he indicated he planned to seek additional funding for school security enhancements, including an expanded Vapor Wake K-9 presence.
The district already uses Vapor Wake dogs, which are trained to detect explosives and screen large groups of people in public spaces.
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Ragsdale has repeatedly pointed to security concerns as a reason for increasing the program, including incidents involving weapons on school campuses.
One case that drew attention occurred at Campbell Middle School, where a gun was discovered on campus, prompting questions from parents about school security measures.
The newly approved funding will add five more Vapor Wake K-9 teams to the district’s existing security operations, increasing the number of schools and events that can be covered by the specialized units.
The superintendent had initially discussed seeking up to $2 million for the expansion, but the board ultimately approved funding of up to $1.2 million.
The discussion lasted roughly an hour during the board’s Sept. 17 work session before members voted to approve the request.