Superintendent says portable metal detectors are speeding entry after phased rollout at Beaufort County high schools

The superintendent reported the district has begun a phased rollout of portable, open‑gate metal detector units in Beaufort County high schools and said the systems are already cutting entry times as students and staff adjust to new procedures.

“We instituted or initiated this in our in our high schools,” the superintendent said, describing the district’s training and school‑by‑school visits. He recounted daily throughput numbers during the initial rollout: “On day 1 at Bay River…line was cleared at 09:00. Day 2, the line was cleared at 08:55. Today was day 3, the line was cleared at 08:47,” and said the district expects to meet its target of clearing students by 08:45 after additional practice and planning.

The superintendent explained the district chose an open‑gate system because it “allows for a constant flow while still monitoring checking,” but cautioned that some personal items such as laptops and certain watches can trigger the sensors and slow entry. He described operational details the district has tracked: each setup can move roughly 800 people in about 30 minutes and two setups could process about 1,600 people when required.

On staffing and long‑term costs, the superintendent said the district will hire an additional armed security guard for each campus and add a protective‑services staff position responsible for maintenance and deployment of the portable units. “We hired a security guard, to man that post, all day,” he said, framing the hire as a recurring operational expense tied to running the detectors throughout the school day.

During audience Q&A, attendees confirmed the units are portable and weigh about 20–25 pounds; the superintendent said they are “dummy proof” and take seconds to set up. District staff also addressed battery and charging logistics, noting units have multiple battery slots and can be run for several days before a front‑unit battery needs charging.

District officials said they will continue to refine entry procedures at each campus and coordinate positions — entrances, bus loops and main entries — so the detectors do not create unacceptable delays. The superintendent urged families and student drivers to plan to arrive five to 10 minutes earlier while procedures settle in.

The district framed the detectors as part of a broader strategy that includes staff training, protective services and school‑level adjustments to entrances. No formal board action was taken at the meeting; the superintendent presented the operational update and answered questions from attendees.