Eastchester's Union Free School District is beefing up security as the school year begins.

There will now be a school resource officer at each of its four campuses. These officers are uniformed and armed while they're on duty.

Previously, the district had one officer permanently assigned to the campus that the middle and high school share. Another officer split their time between all three elementary schools.

“The Board of Education and I believe that strengthening school security is priority No. 1,” said Superintendent Ronald Valenti. “Unless the children are safe, nothing else is worthwhile doing."

Jeff Capuano, the high school's principal, thinks having an armed and uniformed officer already present at each campus could make a difference in the case of an emergency.

The school resource officers also serve as mentors to the community's next generation of scholars and a bridge between the police department and the town.

"I think the more communication that you have, especially within the confines of the community, the better,” said one resource officer. Students who spoke to News 12 agreed.

"It's really nice to hear that we have it…you hear things sometimes on the news, so it makes me definitely feel safer,” said Emily Forzaglia.

The district has also extended the hours that its security guards are on campus to include times when students and staff are at after-school sports and activities.