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Board hears weapons-detection pilot details after spikes in threats and arrests
Summary
District staff described a weapons-detection system pilot at secondary schools after September incidents and a community survey that showed 93% support; pilot to start in March with training and periodic screenings.
The Newton County Board of Education received an overview of a weapons-detection systems pilot program at its February meeting after district officials reported a series of threats and weapon recoveries last school year.
Dr. Mike Barr, the district’s safety and security lead, told the board the district investigated 57 threats in September—many directed at schools—following two incidents that raised safety concerns: a weapon recovery at Sharp Stadium in August and a September 4 shooting at Apalachee High School. Arrests peaked at 20 in September, Barr said, and the number of weapons found on campuses was highest that month.
Barr said the board approved purchase of detection systems for a pilot on Dec. 2, 2024, and the systems were first used at Sharp Stadium on Nov. 5, 2024. The district opened a public input survey Nov. 4–8; Barr reported that 93% of survey respondents supported implementing weapons-detection systems in middle and high schools.
District staff conducted site assessments at every middle and high school in December and launched a train‑the‑trainer program on Feb. 10. Training sessions for school staff were scheduled Feb. 24–28, and Barr said the first uses in schools would begin in March and continue randomly through the end of the school year. He stressed that detection systems are one element of a layered safety approach that also includes people, infrastructure, code of conduct and mental-health supports: “Weapons detection systems alone will not eliminate the risk of weapons on our school campuses,” Barr said.
Board members reacted to the presentation by noting the unexpected cost but supporting transparency. One board member said the district’s public survey, threat and arrest statistics, and community forum were important steps to build community understanding before deployment.
Barr said the safety and security team will monitor the pilot, gather feedback, and adjust logistics and staffing needs. No board action to change policy was taken during the meeting; the pilot is being implemented under previously approved purchasing and pilot authority.
