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District says new metal detectors cut entry screening time and reduced vape incidents
Summary
Supervisor Corey Butler reported the district added open‑gate metal detectors to high schools on Feb. 28, ordered balancing plates to reduce false positives, and said average morning screening time dropped from 25 to about 20 minutes and that detectors have reduced incidents of vaping, including THC vapes.
Corey Butler, supervisor of child welfare and attendance, updated the committee on the district’s metal detector deployment and its operational effects.
Butler said each high school received an additional open‑gate metal detector prior to the Mardi Gras break (Feb. 28) and that balancing plates were added to address sensitivity issues. He said the additional equipment reduced average entry screening time from roughly 25 minutes to about 20 minutes each morning, trimming time lost to arrival screening and speeding student entry into school buildings.
Butler and other speakers said the detectors are being used primarily as a deterrent and that principals reported a notable drop in vaping incidents, specifically THC vapes, though some incidents persist. A district discipline‑policy review committee was noted as starting at 8:30 a.m. to continue reviewing student conduct policies.
Mister Ford, committee member, praised the approach as deterrence and noted that schools visited elsewhere had daily screening; he said he supports steps that enhance safety even if they add a small time burden in the morning. Board members said students have acclimated and that some students report they feel safer.
The update was informational and no policy changes or votes were recorded in the meeting.
