DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb County Schools is revealing new details about the next phase of its safety upgrades, including secure entry vestibules designed to strengthen protection at every campus.

Public Safety Chief Tracey Whaley says the new two-step entry system will use a combination of outer shatterproof and inner bulletproof glass, giving visitors two layers of screening before being allowed inside.

“A person gets allowed into the vestibule and then they have to be cleared to go any further,” Whaley explained. “When you have a delivery person, someone we don’t know, or someone who may just say, ‘Hey, I just wanted to come in for a minute,’ the vestibule is designed to keep that from occurring.”

Each visitor will be required to present a state ID, which will be scanned and verified through a visitor management system before entry is granted.

Whaley says the goal is to install the security vestibules at all 138 DeKalb County schools by the end of the 2026–2027 school year.

He emphasized that the new system adds to existing safety measures already in place: including school officers, panic buttons, drills, and weapons detectors.

“I’m excited that we have the opportunity to add another layer of safety and comfort for students,” Whaley said. “It allows the students to just learn. Every tool that I can get to help protect students helps me rest even better at night.”

WSB Radio’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story.