Board weighs expanding metal detectors to middle and elementary schools; closed-door update planned

Board Member Edwin Ferguson urged the School Board of Palm Beach County on Tuesday to expand metal detector screening to middle and elementary campuses after a string of incidents in which weapons or weapon components were found at non-high-school sites.

Ferguson said the district has seen weapons-related incidents at middle schools and other campuses since the district installed detectors at high schools and argued that expansion would be a deterrent. “We have the means to implement these metal detectors at our middle schools,” he said during a board discussion.

Several board members and staff cautioned that detector technology and deployment models have evolved and that costs and staffing requirements vary by campus. Vice Chair Marsha Andrews and other board members said they preferred a closed-door briefing with the superintendent and the chief of school police so staff could present security options, costs and operational impacts before any public workshop. General Counsel confirmed the board could request a closed session to review security measures that are not appropriate for open, public workshops.

The board asked the superintendent to schedule a closed-door briefing and to include updated information on available technology, staffing needs and budget implications. Board members noted an October security briefing is customary and suggested that timing and budget realities be considered before any decision to deploy detectors more widely.

The board did not adopt an immediate directive to install devices at all middle and elementary schools; members said they wanted staff analysis and operational recommendations before committing to large-scale deployment.