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Emporia Board approves purchase of vape detectors for Emporia High after pilot finds THC prevalence
Summary
After a yearlong pilot, Emporia High School will purchase 33 vape‑detection units and a three‑year license; administrators told the board the devices speed investigations, increased seizure of devices (50 vapes this year, 27 testing positive for THC) and link alerts to hallway cameras; the board approved the purchase 7‑0.
The Emporia Board of Education voted 7‑0 to purchase vape‑detection devices and a three‑year license for Emporia High School after administrators described a pilot that administrators say improved detection and sped investigations of student vaping incidents.
Assistant Superintendent Pam Stranathans and Emporia High assistant principal Brent Burns described the pilot. Burns said portable detectors used previously required manual checks and lengthy video review; fixed detectors installed in restrooms “give us an instant alert right away” and link to nearby cameras so staff can quickly review motion‑tagged video. He told the board the faster process reduced the time to identify students from roughly 45 minutes to about 10 minutes.
Burns said the district recorded 50 seized vape devices this school year; 27 of those tested positive for THC. “More than half the vapes that we're getting are actually drugs,” he said. Burns and others emphasized the devices are intended to deter use and to keep students in school: “For me, this is all about protecting, not punishing,” one board member said during the discussion.
Administrators said the system’s camera does not record inside restrooms; the detector sits inside stalls or over stalls where it senses particles and triggers an alert. Burns noted one instance of tampering that generated a tampering alert; maintenance staff reinstalled the detector without having to call the vendor. Stranathans told the board the quoted cost covers 33 in‑restroom detectors and a three‑year license, with warranties and remote updates included.
Board members asked about ongoing maintenance and replacement costs; Stranathans said the license term is three years and the vendor offers warranty coverage and discounts on future equipment replacements. Several board members praised the pilot as a deterrent and a tool to speed interventions; others raised privacy questions, and Burns reaffirmed that cameras link only to hallway entrances and not to any inside‑bathroom video.
The board approved the motion to purchase the devices from CDW as submitted. The motion passed 7‑0.
