Board reviews OpenGate metal-detection proposal; superintendent presents ~$288,000 estimate for four schools

Superintendent Jackie Collins presented the OpenGate metal-detection system to the Oasis Charter School Governing Board on Oct. 14 and provided a vendor cost estimate to install units at the district’s four campuses.

Collins said Lee County uses the OpenGate system and that Oasis staff met with the county Office of Safety and Security to understand operational details. “This is the most prominent, metal detection system that schools use in the nation,” Collins said during her presentation. She said a single mobile unit typically costs about $20,000 and that the preliminary quote for equipment and accessories across all four schools came to about $287,950.

Collins described how the units operate: one person generally walks through at a time, devices must be calibrated and Chromebooks are removed from bags and passed through the gate, and the company operates an app for setup and sensitivity adjustments. She proposed configurations the vendor quoted: four units at the high school and three units at each of the other campuses (Oasis Middle School, Oasis Elementary School and OEN), plus stabilizers, wands for secondary screening, tables for inspections and signage. She also included the estimated cost of on-site vendor training and a one-year warranty in the quote.

The superintendent identified ongoing personnel and event costs: Lee County pays a stipend for staff who operate the units (Collins said county stipends are about $850 per person) and the district estimated ad-pay or duty costs of roughly $1,700–$2,500 per school annually depending on staffing patterns. Collins also noted recurring costs for police detail at large evening events and suggested combining available safety-grant and SRO allocation funds where possible. She said the project is not budgeted for FY26 and staff will speak with the city manager and the police chief on funding options.

Board members expressed mixed views. Some said safety concerns and population growth argue for serious study; others said the devices change school optics and feel like a loss of innocence. Several trustees suggested surveying parents and seeking grant funding before committing to purchase. There was no board vote; Collins said the presentation was informational and that staff would return with additional cost and funding details.

Next steps discussed at the meeting included: further consultation with the City of Cape Coral and the police chief, pursuing vendor demos and pricing under the county piggyback contract, evaluating available safety grant funds, and presenting a funding plan to the board for consideration.