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District pilots portable weapon‑detection units at Tartan; rollout to North High ordered
Summary
Superintendent Tucci Osorio and student representatives described the pilot of a portable weapon‑detection system at Tartan High School. District staff said sensitivity adjustments reduced false positives and that a set of units has been ordered for North High School while administrators continue evaluation.
The ISD 622 board heard updates on school safety equipment and a pilot of a portable weapon‑detection system at Tartan High School during its Sept. 22 meeting.
Scarlett Rodriguez, a student representative and junior at Tartan High School, told the board that the school recently implemented metal detectors as part of morning entry. "I really don't think the metal detectors are a bad idea. I really like them just because with everything that's going on, you never know what's gonna happen," Rodriguez said, adding that initial adjustments — removing items such as eyelash curlers and Chromebooks while staff learned routine checks — made the first week slower but that students and staff had adapted.
Superintendent Tucci Osorio described the district’s recent pilot of a weapon‑detection system from a vendor referred to as OpenGate. She said the system was tested during the district’s spring graduation at Aldrich Arena and later piloted at Tartan. "We bought it ahead of our graduation this past spring... and then, we are — it's kudos to Tartan High School administration for jumping in and agreeing to be a pilot program for us there," Tucci Osorio said. The superintendent said specialists spent early mornings adjusting sensitivity and performing role‑plays so the system would detect firearms while avoiding alarms for benign objects such as phones or eyelash curlers.
Assistant Superintendent Andy Beaton, who led technical and secondary‑level work on the pilot, told the board that after sensitivity tuning the system "is working really, really beautifully" and that the district has already ordered a set of units for North High School. District staff emphasized the units are portable and can be rolled out for events (for example, football games) and are not intended to create a permanent checkpoint environment.
Board members asked about student perceptions and whether the units made schools feel "prison like." Superintendent Tucci Osorio said mobility and intermittent use are intended to limit that perception and preserve normal school routines. She added that school safety is layered — tip lines, visitor management, lockdown systems and other measures continue to be part of the district’s approach.
Principal Bethany Dissent (Tartan) is credited with producing a short video for families demonstrating how the system operates and how the school implemented procedures to minimize disruption. District staff said they will continue to evaluate the pilot, invite other schools to visit the pilot site, and consider broader implementation timelines.
Ending: The district will monitor operational impacts, gather more staff and student feedback, and bring additional information to the board before a broader rollout beyond the units ordered for North High School.
