Oconee County board discusses metal detectors, Syntegix rollout and other security upgrades after high-school weapons incident

A parent urged the School District of Oconee County Board of Trustees on March 10 to install metal detectors at the district’s high schools after a student recently brought a firearm onto school grounds. Tierra Barnwell told the board she presented a petition with more than 100 signatures and said, “We cannot afford to wait for a worst case scenario.” She added, “What is the price of a life?”

The board heard a detailed security update from district leadership that outlined existing measures — school resource officers in each building, double-secure entry points, cameras, drills, nurses in every building, canine searches, internet/keystroke monitoring, and parental controls for district devices — and described several projects in progress: installation of Syntegix emergency/location devices, testing of strobes and sensors in classrooms, installation of protective film on first-floor glass, and districtwide distribution of “Stop the Bleed” kits.

Superintendent Dr. Thorsland and staff said Syntegix trainings began this week for key personnel with a planned broader rollout to staff during the spring; the district hopes equipment and training will be in place…