A man employed by the Hall County Sheriff's Office for nearly three decades has been announced as the new Safety and Security Manager for Gainesville City Schools.
Bonner Burton's hiring was announced Tuesday by the Gainesville City School System Board of Education, which said Burton would be filling a new position within the district "to increase the safety and security of all school campuses and the students within."
“Our priority is the safety and well-being of our students,” said Gainesville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Williams. “Adding this position to our district leadership ensures it remains our priority and continues to evolve with the needs of our community.”
As Safety and Security Manager, Burton will supervise the security of all Gainesville City Schools, including overseeing the hiring process to bring 10 new security guards to the district. Officials say one new guard will be posted at each elementary and middle school, with two guards being posted to the Gainesville High School campus.
Burton most recently served as Assistant Division Commander at the Hall County Jail. Previous roles within the Hall County Sheriff's Office range from Operations Commander at the Hall County Courthouse to Assistant Commander of Hall County SWAT.
“Having served for 27 years with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, I am proud to use that experience to protect the children of our community,” said Burton.
Burton will oversee security logistics and training, with school officials noting in a Tuesday press release that all security guards posted on school campuses will be armed, and will each have previous experience working in a security-related capacity.
