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District details roll‑out of MetroSense weapon‑detection units; seeks local grant for 10 more
Summary
Wicomico County Public Schools staff reported deployment of 11 MetroSense walk‑through detection units across the district, use at graduations and daily use at Choices, and said a local $170,000 grant request to fund 10 additional units was submitted.
District staff reviewed the first year of MetroSense implementation and outlined expansion plans for summer school and fall athletic events.
Mister Owens (Operations) told the board the district purchased 11 MetroSense units and deployed them across events and schools this year, including athletics, targeted scans and full use at all four high‑school graduations. He said the machines notably detected metal vaping devices and that using the units at Choices reduced on‑site vaping and improved day‑to‑day operations there.
“Honestly, an improvement … in the daily environment at Choices because these are in place,” Owens said. Staff described a learning curve during early deployments at graduations and said they refined procedures; after the after‑action reviews, staff said they could process graduates in about 40–45 minutes and now schedule an hour for processing.
Board members asked about walk‑through experience and the need for people to remove items; staff said MetroSense functions with a handheld‑style detection zone and that scanning still indicates activations (for example, phones or Apple Watches) and that asking people to hold items in their hands or place them in provided baskets sped throughput. Staff noted civic‑center and stadium rules about outside liquids and bag sizes affected processing speed.
Staff said MetroSense units will be used fully for summer school at two high‑school sites and that Choices will continue daily use. The district reported some buildings already host permanent units and that the team plans fall implementation at the county stadium and to expand staff training during summer professional development.
Operations staff said they are seeking additional funding; Mrs. Miles said a local funding request for $170,000 was signed and submitted the day before the meeting to purchase 10 more units. “The letter was just signed and submitted yesterday for $170,000 which would give us 10 additional,” she said. Staff described pursuing grants and local sources and said the district is evaluating where additional detectors would be most effective.
Staff noted the district has changed some event and entry logistics and communication with families to speed processing and limit confusion about bag sizes and outside items. They also said staffing requirements remain a consideration for routine daily use at larger schools.
