Public asks for metal detectors; superintendent outlines limits, safety plans and an AI camera pilot

At the board's open forum, resident Jacob Ernst asked trustees to consider metal detectors and bag searches after his son experienced lockdowns at school. Ernst said: "I just want this madness to end." He urged the board to pursue metal detectors or other screening measures to reduce weapons on campuses.

Superintendent Colas replied that the district has considered metal detectors but that large-scale deployment requires continuous staffing and perimeter control to be effective. "If we cannot hire the law enforcement agents to metal detect every single person that comes in every single event," she said, "then it's not effective."

Colas described alternatives the district already deploys when a student meets behavioral-threat criteria: individualized safety plans can require parental drop-off, searches, restrictions on backpacks or supervised movement between classes. She said such plans are used when a student has been identified through the district's threat-assessment process.

As a technology option, Colas said she is negotiating with a vendor for an AI-enabled camera monitoring product that would analyze live camera feeds for firearm shapes and immediately alert staff monitoring those feeds; she said the product is intended to shave seconds off response and lockdown time.

Why it matters: the exchange highlighted the tension between broad screening proposals and practical limits on staffing, surveillance and student rights. Board members asked for a future information item outlining legal constraints, staffing needs, and potential costs.

Next steps: Colas said she expects to report more on AI detection and the legal options for screening/search policies at a future superintendent's report.