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Board approves purchase of four mobile weapon‑detection units; grant covers most costs
Summary
Wilson County Schools approved buying four mobile weapon-detection units. The district said $421,736 will come from a state public‑school security grant; the district will supplement roughly $16,000 from local funds. Board discussed mobility, training needs and that units will be purchased rather than leased.
The Wilson County Schools board approved the purchase of four mobile weapon‑detection units as an added layer of security for high schools and middle schools.
Board members questioned the $500,000 figure and asked where the money would come from. A district representative said the purchase was included in the budget and that the district had trialed platforms from multiple vendors. "We wanna start adding weapon detection system. We we went with 1 company 1st and just bought a few units," a staff speaker said as the board discussed the district’s approach to layering security.
Finance staff explained the funding: the district was awarded a state public‑school security grant of $421,736 and will supplement roughly $16,000 from its budget to complete the purchase. "They awarded us $421,736 so we're just supplementing $16,000 out of our budget to bridge the gap in that," the finance representative said. The board also discussed unit mobility (to use at games and events), the need to train additional staff to operate the units and the district’s decision to purchase rather than lease.
The board voted unanimously (6–0) to approve the purchase. Members asked staff to consider training stipends and to include operational considerations (deployment rotation and maintenance) in implementation plans.
