King George schools to buy 15 weapon-detection units after board signoff; units are mobile and not leased
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Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved the King George School Division's purchase of 15 mobile weapon-detection units and accessories to deploy across the division. The systems are stand-alone, battery/plug-powered units with adjustable sensitivity and are owned outright by the schools; the board's vote authorized use of school funds subject to attorn
King George County supervisors on June 3 approved the school division's purchase of 15 weapon-detection systems from Open Gate (contract amount approximately $270,132), following a unanimous vote by the School Board the night before. The systems are mobile, owner-purchased units intended for entry screening across all schools rather than a fixed leased portal.
School officials said the package covers five units for the high school, four for the middle school and two units for each elementary school. Each detection set includes towers fitted with multiple antennas; units can be re-positioned across doorways and can be calibrated for different detection sensitivity (from major firearms to smaller metal objects). School staff stated the systems are not leased—the division will buy the equipment outright—and the manufacturer performs initial setup and training; school administrators will operate and re-deploy units as needed.
Supervisors approved a motion to authorize the purchase, conditioned on school counsel's review of the vendor contract. County administrators also noted that contract terms will be reviewed for standard government procurement protections (choice of law, dispute venue and warranty terms) before final execution.
Why this matters
The systems offer a rapid-setup, mobile screening capability the division can use at school entrances or at special events. The board's vote used existing school funds and is intended to make screening less costly than previously considered fixed portals that were priced in the high hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
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"These are mobile towers that can be recalibrated quickly. They give us a practical way to screen at school entries without the expense of a full fixed portal system," Superintendent Boyd said at the meeting.
Next steps
School counsel will review final contracts and the division will coordinate vendor training and deployment details with school and safety staff. The board asked procurement and legal staff to confirm contract venue and warranty language are consistent with county policy before execution.
