District adds portable weapons detectors at secondary schools; board previously set aside $100,000

District staff gave the board an update on portable weapons-detection lanes the district has purchased for secondary campuses and athletic events.

Doctor Hopkins said the district purchased initial lanes of a portable “open gate” weapons-detection system after the board set aside $100,000 earlier this year for safety initiatives. Hopkins said initial pricing the district saw was about $22,000 per lane; recent purchases cost about $18,000 per lane. The district has purchased two lanes and expected three more to arrive, which would bring the total to five lanes districtwide.

Hopkins said the lanes are a one-time purchase with support included “for, I think it's 4 years.” He said the devices have been used for a random search and for basketball games at Clover High School and that handhelds to accompany the lanes had been delivered. The district received a $7,000 state grant but did not receive a U.S. Department of Justice grant for the equipment.

Hopkins told the board the devices can detect small metal items, are weatherproof and have been used in other jurisdictions at large events. He cautioned that using multiple lanes at once requires administrative personnel and an SRO to direct students, respond to alerts and conduct secondary searches, which increases personnel demands during deployment.

Board members asked about maintenance and relocation; Hopkins said upkeep includes keeping batteries charged and updating the administrative app. He said the district plans to issue three more lanes: one additional unit to Clover High School and one each to the two middle schools, and said the district will pursue additional grants and budget items to expand coverage.

No formal vote was recorded; the presentation updated the board on purchases made under the previously authorized safety line item.