Liberty County board approves purchase of 20 weapons-detection units; clear-book-bag rule slated for later approval

The Liberty County Board of Education voted Thursday to purchase 20 portable weapons-detection units for the district’s middle and high schools and moved to return a proposed clear-book-bag requirement for formal approval at the next meeting.

Mr. Jackson, presenting the district’s two-phase safety plan, said the project would be funded primarily by a Georgia Department of Education safety/security grant. He listed the total equipment cost as $346,780 and said the district had received $344,626 from the state grant, with a small remaining local contribution described in the presentation as coming from “East Bloss.”

The board took the action after extensive questions about scope and operations. Mr. Jackson confirmed the initial purchase is for 20 units—enough to place at least one unit at every middle and high school—and said the units are portable, battery-powered (10–14 hours), and designed to allow quick entry without…