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After high school security incident, board weighs detectors, fencing and other upgrades
Summary
Following a security incident at the high school, district staff described safety audits and potential options including mobile screening gates, AI sensor systems, fencing and alarm upgrades; estimates for some options range from tens of thousands to more than $2 million.
School administrators told the Franklin County School Board on April 7 that they are expanding safety reviews and considering multiple security upgrades after a recent security incident at Franklin County High School.
Dr. Sears said security audits of every school are nearly complete and that district leaders and law enforcement will use audit results to prioritize improvements. Dr. Nestor (district safety lead) summarized technologies and preliminary cost estimates discussed with other districts: mobile screening gates (product name Open Gate by Kaya) at roughly $20,000 per unit and an AI-based screening system (Evolve) with per-unit costs near $100,000; Dr. Nestor estimated that equipping the high school with an Evolve-type system could cost about $2 million including licensing and upgrades.
Staff also described lower-cost and intermediate steps: installing six-foot chain-link fencing (preliminary quotes between about $70,000 and $150,000 depending on layout), higher-end ornamental fencing that could run more than $500,000 for the high school campus, and additions such as door alarms and revised access routines. Staff said mobile screening units can be redeployed for extracurricular events, and some counties use differing sensitivity settings on screening systems.
Officials said they will continue audits, coordinate with law enforcement and county officials about funding, and present a prioritized list of recommended safety investments to the board. Several board members asked about grant funding for SROs and noted some SRO grant dollars had already expired or were carrying over only partly into next year. Administrators proposed a closed-session briefing for the board on completed audits and recommended measures to avoid publicly revealing campus vulnerabilities.
District staff emphasized prevention and “see something, say something” messaging as immediate safety actions while longer-term capital or technology solutions are evaluated. The board did not vote on any specific procurement or installation at the meeting; staff will return with prioritized recommendations and costed options.
