FCHS has welcomed a new School Safety Officer (SSO), Barbara “BJ” Hensen. She has 14 years of police experience and six years with the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). She also has 16 years of service with Fluvanna County Public Schools. In her new role, Hensen is taking the place of Von Hill, who is on active duty with the National Guard.

Hensen is joining the school’s other SSO, Malcom Nelson, who is in his third year as an SSO for the high school.

SSOs are an addition to the administrators. An SSO helps maintain order, investigates any policy violations, monitors behavior, and focuses on safely connecting with students. A School Safety Officer works for the school in a different capacity from a School Resource Officer (SRO). School Resource Officers are with law enforcement and carry weapons; they serve as a resource for students and staff, humanizing the police presence and promoting positive relationships. To learn more about the differences between SSOs and SROs, click here.

The ultimate goal of both SROs and SSOs is the same: to make sure students are safe.

“I wanted to do this job when I first heard about the opening,” said Hensen. Hensen went to school in Fluvanna, and after graduating, she went straight to work. She worked in a clothing factory for a while, then became a school suspension aide working in the middle school. She later worked with the special education department, as a classroom aide, and as a student transporter.

“From there I went to Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. I worked there for six years,” she said.

Hensen worked at the Fluvanna Sheriff’s Office from 2006–2020, retired, and after taking a month off, went back to work for another five years part-time. She was a deputy, and after being in the force for one year, she became a corporal.

“Three to four years later, I became a sergeant and retired with sergeant stripes,” Hensen said.

Outside of school, Hensen is a busy woman, as she also works for the Watson Funeral Home. “I actually drive the hearse. I’m a funeral home attendant,” she said.

When she isn’t in either job, she’s helping with the Fluvanna Leaders for Race and Diversity (FLRD) food pantry. Their goal is to make sure everyone has food to eat in Fluvanna. And on other days, she helps out the elderly. When she does have time to relax, she likkes to work on jigsaw puzzles.