Pitt County school board OKs $140,437 contract for vape/THC detectors, adopts resolution on partisan elections

The Pitt County Board of Education on Tuesday approved a $140,437.50 contract with BridgeTech Solutions LLC, doing business as Lockstep Technology Group, to buy and operate 105 Triton Ultra vape detectors under a five‑year subscription plan for the district's six high schools.

The board also took a separate vote to adopt a resolution opposing conversion of school board elections to partisan ballots.

District staff said the Triton Ultra devices will be placed in restrooms and locker rooms at each high school and will detect vaping aerosols and, in the Ultra model selected, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Erin Erickson, the district's executive director of operations, told the board the devices were chosen in part because the Ultra model allows groups of four units to be daisy‑chained, lowering installation wiring costs across the project. "We are seeking board approval to contract for a 5 year subscription ... to purchase the Triton ... Ultra model, for $140,437.50," Erickson said. She added the detectors will be installed in "all the restrooms and the locker rooms."

Erickson said the purchase will be paid from the district's settlement fund and that a middle‑school pilot had reduced plumbing calls related to concealed vape pens. "Before we installed these devices as a pilot program at one of our middle schools, the number of calls for that school dropped to 2 for the entire year after that," Erickson said, comparing that to prior levels of multiple plumbing calls per day at some schools.

Board members asked about behavioral responses and long‑term costs. A board member asked how repeat offenders would be handled; Erickson and other staff described an educational approach used in some schools that pairs counseling and curriculum with the district's code of conduct for students who do not respond to education. The board also asked about subscription costs after the initial five‑year term; staff said future subscription pricing was not specified at the time of the vote. Staff described the devices as having a five‑year warranty and an expected operational life similar to smoke detectors, with replacement likely in seven to 10 years.

On the partisan‑elections resolution, board members expressed differing views during the meeting and in closing remarks. The board recorded a motion and vote to adopt a resolution opposing a proposal to convert school board elections to partisan ballots; the transcript records the motion, a second and a vote but does not provide a roll‑call tally.

Votes at a glance

- Purchase of Triton Ultra vape/THC detectors, BridgeTech Solutions LLC (dba Lockstep Technology Group): approved. Price: $140,437.50; scope: 105 devices for six high schools; funding: district settlement fund; contract: five‑year subscription. Motion carried.

- Resolution opposing conversion of school board elections to partisan ballots: approved. Motion carried (vote tally not specified in the record).

- Consent agenda (minutes, personnel, budget readings and other routine items): approved. Motion carried.

What the board said

Erickson framed the purchase as both preventative and educational, noting the devices trigger a text alert to administrators and the school resource officer when activated. "It's not to get anybody in trouble. It's really to educate them ... and to prevent damage to the school buildings themselves," she said. Board members described existing educational interventions at some schools that have reduced vaping incidents and said the district will continue to apply the student code of conduct when education does not resolve the behavior.

The board discussed but did not set a districtwide new discipline policy during the meeting; members said existing educational programs and the code of conduct will guide responses to incidents.

Funding and implementation

District staff said the installation will require wiring and that the chosen model reduces long‑term installation costs because it supports daisy‑chaining. Staff said the subscription price beyond the initial five years was not known at the time of purchase. The district expects to keep device wiring and upgrade detectors as technology evolves.

Next steps

Staff will finalize contract paperwork with BridgeTech/Lockstep and begin scheduling installations. The transcript does not specify exact installation dates or a project timeline beyond board approval.

Sources: Pitt County Schools board meeting transcript (public presentation by Erin Erickson), board motions and votes recorded at the meeting.