District proposes 15 additional vape detectors at high school; board asks for effectiveness data before consent

Perkiomen Valley administration requested board approval to purchase and install 15 additional vape sensors at Perkiomen Valley High School, citing positive deterrent effects from earlier installations. The request would fund hardware and installation from the district’s capital reserve.

Facilities and safety staff said earlier deployments at the high school produced positive feedback from school administrators and that additional detectors would cover remaining bathrooms and locker rooms. The hardware is a networked (PoE) sensor that integrates with the district’s cloud platform and alert app. Administration said the ongoing cost is primarily an annual cloud‑service/license fee (budgeted separately) and that the bulk of the expense stems from installation (running Ethernet and placement; some spaces require multiple devices to cover larger areas such as locker rooms).

Board members asked several operational questions and requested data before final consent: how many current detectors were installed as pilots, the number of alarms and incidents before and after installation, whether students flushed devices into plumbing, and expected long‑term costs including annual licensing. Administration said 24 detectors are already deployed at the high school and that the new proposal of 15 would cover remaining bathrooms and locker rooms; it agreed to provide alarm and incident data and to confirm recommended sensor placement for large open locker areas.

Because the board wanted hard data and an accounting of recurring license costs, members asked that the item be pulled from next week’s consent agenda until administration can provide the requested operational metrics and installation plan.