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Board approves purchase of vape detectors for Emporia High School amid privacy questions
Summary
Emporia Public Schools will buy 33 Verkada vape detectors for Emporia High School after the board approved the purchase; administrators said the system speeds detection and has helped recover devices containing THC, while board members sought clarification about camera placement and warranties.
The Emporia Public Schools Board of Education approved purchasing vape detectors and associated licenses for Emporia High School, a system district staff said has reduced time to identify vaping incidents and increased recovery of devices, including those containing THC.
Assistant Superintendent Pam Stranathans and Emporia High School Assistant Principal Brent Burns described a pilot using Verkada detectors and exterior cameras connected to detectors placed in restrooms. Burns said the portable detectors the school previously used often required staff to spend up to 45 minutes reviewing video to identify students; with the Verkada installation, alerts arrive instantly (by email or text), include a snapshot and link to motion‑tagged footage, and cut identification time to about 10 minutes.
Burns said the pilot led to 50 vapes recovered this year at the high school, 27 of which tested positive for THC; by comparison, the previous year the school recovered 34 vapes with 23 THC positives. He told the board most devices encountered were THC‑containing and that students often acquire them via social media arrangements.
Board members raised privacy concerns. Burns and Stranathans clarified that cameras are mounted in hallways and at bathroom entrances only; there are no cameras inside bathrooms. The detectors sit inside bathroom stalls or over stalls where ceiling‑to‑floor partitions require individual sensors; the district requested 33 units to cover stalls and certain bathrooms.
On maintenance and licensing, staff said the proposal includes warranties, cloud‑based software updates and a three‑year license; equipment prices have fallen recently and the vendor offers discounts for replacement equipment down the road. District staff also described a tampering event earlier in the pilot where a detector was removed; in that instance district technicians were able to reinstall the device without needing vendor service.
The board approved the motion to purchase the detectors from CDW as submitted; the motion passed 7–0.
Votes at a glance: Purchase of vape detectors (vendor CDW, Verkada devices) approved 7–0.
