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Wicomico County board hears three-tier weapons-detection proposal, estimates up to $6 million
Summary
School leaders presented a three-tier weapons-detection plan ranging from an estimated $1.7 million for all high schools to about $6 million for all schools; presenters emphasized throughput, training and recurring staff costs while saying no dedicated weapons-detection grant is currently identified.
The Wicomico County Board of Education on its special meeting work session reviewed a three-tier proposal to install weapons-detection systems at school entrances, with estimated up-front costs running from about $1.7 million for all high schools to roughly $6 million to cover all district schools.
Ms. Miles introduced the safety-team presentation and turned the floor to Dr. Obarski and colleagues, who described the district’s goal of adding a visible deterrent and an early-detection layer while preserving students’ and staff’s psychological sense of safety. The team proposed three options: Tier 1 for all high schools (including evening high and Choices Academy), Tier 2 for all secondary schools, and Tier 3 to cover every district facility.
“We’re looking at detection systems with high throughput rates,” Dr. Obarski said, describing configurations meant to move large groups quickly into buildings. Presenters described performance targets of roughly 700–800 students per entry device processed in about 15 minutes when multiple entry points are used, and they stressed that systems should produce low nuisance-alarm rates and include mandatory training for screening staff.
The district presented top-end budget estimates that include device purchase, mandatory vendor training, and additional school security employees (SSEs) with a 40% charge factor for benefits and recurring costs. The line estimates shown to the board were about $1,700,000 for Tier 1, $3,300,000 for Tier 2 and roughly $6,000,000 for Tier 3. Presenters described the device cost as an initial capital expense with lower annual upkeep and said staff costs would be recurring and sensitive to wage adjustments.
Board members asked whether state or federal grants could cover the systems. “There are multiple school safety grants to the Maryland Center for School Safety, and we’ve applied for every one of them so far,” the presenter said, but added she was not aware of a specific grant for weapons-detection systems and that recent federal announcements were being evaluated for eligibility.
Trustees expressed support for moving forward on at least a limited rollout. One board member urged the board to begin with Tier 1 this fiscal year while continuing to pursue Tier 3 if funding permits. Presenters said they would return with vendor demonstrations and more detailed five-year cost projections and recommended a work group that includes principals to resolve operational logistics.
The board did not take a formal vote on procurement at the meeting but reached consensus to pursue next steps, including vendor review and outreach to county elected officials about funding options.
What’s next: Staff will schedule vendor demonstrations and prepare a recommendation with multi-year cost projections, staffing requirements and potential procurement timelines for a future meeting.
