Upper Darby reviews safety protocols; weapons detection system logged 71,084 alerts as students and visitors passed through

Upper Darby School District officials reviewed end‑of‑year safety procedures and the district’s weapons‑detection system, which the administration installed in December 2024.

Anthony Vaughn, Director of Public Safety, said the district deployed detection systems at multiple secondary sites and at the stadium for large events. He reported that 728,350 visitors had passed through the detectors and that the system generated 71,084 alerts; district presenters said most alerts were for benign items. Officials cited common objects that trigger alerts—umbrellas, Chromebooks, eyeglass cases and binders—and said staff have found knives, box cutters and 34 vape pens during screening. They described about a dozen instances of other drug paraphernalia detected and removed.

Dr. McGarry said initial alert rates of roughly 15–20% at launch have declined; the district currently reports an average rate near 8% across schools and noted that the high school’s average alert rate was about 13%, Beverly Hills around 8%, and Drexel Hill Middle School about 7%. He credited student and staff training and communications for reduced throughput times; a student‑produced video and district guidance shortened entry time to 10–15 minutes in some cases, presenters said.

The presentation also addressed related systems: the county’s DelPass button (a county emergency button) is approaching end of life within about two years and would require replacement, and the district uses the CrisisGo app to provide incident communication connected to local police and 911 dispatch. The administration said it will update its memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement ahead of the next school year.

Staff described a recent hall‑pass pilot called SmartPass for monitoring hallway movement and reported positive feedback from hall monitors; the district plans to expand such monitoring into classrooms for 2025–26. Officials also described training efforts: 32 hall monitors received Youth Mental Health First Aid training in May, and the district plans to expand that training to other staff and partner police officers.

No new district policy was adopted at the meeting; the item was informational and staff said they will continue communication with families and post guidance and a demonstration video before summer to prepare students and families for screening procedures.