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Sarasota board approves $170,000 pilot to detect vaping at North Port High School
Summary
The Sarasota County School Board unanimously approved a proof‑of‑concept pilot at North Port High School to install Verkada vaping‑detection sensors integrated with the Smart Pass hall‑pass system; first‑year installation and network work are estimated at about $170,000, with ongoing licensing costs to be decided post‑pilot.
The Sarasota County School Board on June 16 voted unanimously to approve a pilot project at North Port High School deploying Verkada vaping‑detection sensors and cameras linked to the district’s Smart Pass digital hall‑pass system.
Superintendent Conner said the pilot is focused on prevention and improving administrators’ ability to respond to vaping on campus. “In this pilot year, we’re focused really on prevention,” Conner said, describing the goal as reducing vaping, improving intervention supports, and returning instructional time to classrooms.
District staff reported a site assessment recommended 63 sensors and 29 cameras for the campus, plus cabling and network infrastructure. The superintendent gave a first‑year all‑in cost estimate of approximately $170,000, with about $130,000 attributed to capital equipment and roughly $40,000 to cabling and switches; licensing fees remain under review and district staff said they will evaluate 1‑, 3‑ or 5‑year options after the pilot.
Board members emphasized the funding source and the project’s roots in student advocacy. Board member Barker noted the funds are coming from capital budgets “which are not permitted to be used for teacher salaries,” and praised students who helped bring the idea forward. Board member Edwards credited the DEFY student task force and other student leaders for raising the issue.
Superintendent Conner described how the Verkada sensors and the Smart Pass system would work together: when students request a digital restroom pass the system can cross‑reference sensor alerts and the pass record to give administrators targeted, real‑time or near‑real‑time information about where an event occurred.
The contract for materials and services was approved under a cooperative procurement with Driven Security to implement the Verkada system. The board and administration said the pilot will focus on North Port as a proof of concept and that district staff will report back with pilot results before making broader procurement or licensing commitments.
The board’s approval was procedural: members moved and seconded the purchase under the cooperative contract and voted to authorize the superintendent to proceed. The pilot will proceed with planning and infrastructure work this summer; the district expects to monitor results and present findings to the board after the trial period.
