RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Several Central Virginia school divisions are receiving up to $250,000 each to strengthen school security this school year. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) announced Thursday the recipients of its 2026-27 School Security Equipment Grant program, which provides l ocalities with funds to purchase security equipment and update school buildings with security features. Nearly 400 qualifying schools from 91 school divisions across the commonwealth received $12 million in grants. Over 40 Central Virginia schools from 18 divisions were recipients this year, provided they remain open for at least five more years. Funding breakdown for each locality is as follows: Amelia County: $250,000Amelia County Elementary, Amelia County High and Amelia County Middle Buckingham County: $42,203Buckingham County Middle Caroline County: $157,491Caroline High and Caroline Middle Chesterfield County: $250,000Thomas Dale High Colonial Heights City: $25,677Colonial Heights Middle Cumberland County: $39,480Cumberland High and Cumberland Middle Dinwiddie County: $153,715Dinwiddie County Middle, Dinwiddie Elementary, Midway Elementary, Southside Elementary, Sunnyside Elementary and Sutherland Elementary Hopewell City: $250,000 Carter G. Woodson Middle, Dupont Elementary, Harry E. James Elementary, Hopewell High, Patrick Copeland Elementary and Woodlawn Pre-School Learning Center King William County: $30,400Acquinton Elementary King and Queen County: $123,200 Lawson-Marriott Elementary Lunenburg County: $200,000Kenbridge Elementary, Lunenburg Middle and Victoria Elementary New Kent County: $59,227New Kent Elementary and Quinton Elementary Nottoway County: $56,774Blackstone Primary, Crewe Primary, Nottoway High, Nottoway Intermediate and Nottoway Middle Orange County: $211,239Lightfoot Elementary, Orange Elementary and Unionville Elementary Petersburg City: $193,551Cool Spring Elementary, Lakemont Elementary, Petersburg High, Pleasants Lane Elementary, Vernon Johns Middle, Walnut Hill Elementary and Westview Early Childhood Education Center Prince George County: $132,984David A. Harrison Elementary, L.L. Beazley Elementary, Middle Road Elementary, and North Elementary Richmond City: $190,816Albert Hill Middle, Bellevue Elementary, Blackwell Elementary, Broad Rock Elementary, Dogwood Middle, Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary, Frances W. McClenney Elementary, G.H. Reid Elementary, George W. Carver Elementary, Henry Marsh III Elementary, J.L. Francis Elementary, John Marshall High, Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary, Lucille M. Brown Middle, Mary Munford Elementary, Miles Jones Elementary, Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary, Overby-Sheppard Elementary, Richmond Success Academy, Southampton Elementary, Swansboro Elementary, Thomas H. Henderson Middle and Westover Hills Elementary Sussex County: $95,640Sussex Central Elementary The VDOE said it received applications from seven regional centers, the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind and 770 schools from 124 of Virginia's 132 divisions. ...read more read less