PXU hears Grand Canyon Institute report on weapons-detection pilot as students, staff and parents split on expansion

The Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board heard a presentation Feb. 6 on the district's Advanced Weapon Detection Systems pilot and a related evaluation by the Grand Canyon Institute.

Dr. Dave Wells of the Grand Canyon Institute told the board the evaluation showed "suggestive" evidence that the pilot reduced incidents involving firearms and a statistically strong reduction in long-blade knife incidents at the pilot sites, and that staff and parents favored keeping the systems. Wells said student perceptions of safety did not show a statistically significant change in the study period.

The report covered two pilot high schools and several control sites and used pre- and post-pilot surveys of students, staff and parents, focus groups, and district incident records. Wells said the pilot sites recorded fewer reported incidents of knives with blades 2.5 inches or longer and that districtwide firearm reports also declined in other districts that implemented AWDS, citing data from Mesa Unified and Agua Fria.

The presentation…