Bulletproof whiteboards coming to Delaware school district

The Colonial School District will be the first in the Delaware Valley to place bulletproof whiteboards in some of their classrooms.

Under a pilot program launched by Delaware state Senator Nicole Poore, the district will place 121 bulletproof whiteboards in designated classrooms. 

“As an elected official and parent, I felt compelled to try any and everything  possible to ensure the safety of our school children, their teachers and staff should there be an act of violence like we’ve seen repeated far too often across the country,” said Poore, D-New Castle.

Maryland-based Hardwire Armor Systems designed and manufactured the bulletproof whiteboards. They look like regular whiteboards, except they are equipped with arm straps on the back allowing them to double as protective shields. They weigh about four pounds and are capable of taking several bullets. Hardwire uses DuPont Kevlar to make the whiteboards.

“Teachers are the last line of defense in these incidents, and the donation of these bulletproof whiteboards make these teachers, students and schools the safest and best equipped in Delaware,” said George Tunis, chairman and CEO of Hardwire, LLC.

In April, Poore set out to raise $400,000 to cover the cost of the pilot whiteboard program. Delmarva Power, Delaware City Refining Company and Monroe Energy purchased the whiteboards in what Poore described as a “proactive approach” to improving school safety.

“If the bulletproof whiteboards save precious minutes for first-responders, they will be a priceless addition to schools in our state,” said Poore, who likened them to the presence of fire extinguishers and defibrillators within school buildings.