On Thursday afternoon, Oct. 3, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is holding a rare meeting away from prying eyes – a closed session to discuss the allocation of money in ways meant to make county schools safer from shooters and other potential threats.

The reason the meeting is hush, hush – with no media or members of the public allowed in the room – is that the effectiveness of many of the protective measures that will be discussed are maximized when those who are potential threats do not have the information.

In light of recent of school shootings, both the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and the Guilford County Board of Education have discussed ways that threats to students can be reduced. Now both boards seem to have a more crystalized view on the best strategies to combat school assailants, and those will be a major topic of conversation when the commissioners meet on Thursday in the large conference room on the third floor of the Guilford County BB&T building at 201 W. Market St. in Greensboro, right next to the Old Guilford County Court House.

The Board of Commissioners will hold the work session on October 3 at 4 p.m., just before the board holds its regular 5:30 p.m. meeting.

The closed door meeting was called rather quickly as commissioner work sessions go: By law, the county must give 48 hours notice of a meeting and, in this case, it sent out notice of the meeting on Monday, Sept. 30.

According to the public notice from the county, “The purpose of the work session is to immediately enter into closed session pursuant to N.C.G.S 143-318.11 (a) (3) & (8) to consult with the County Attorney, and to consider and adopt school safety components of the Guilford County Schools safety improvement plans; and conduct any other necessary business.”

Just a few of the improvements school officials have said are needed in Guilford County schools to increase security are things such as more surveillance cameras, better locks on windows and doors and more fenced areas to reduce points of access to schools.