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Metal detectors will be rolled out at William Floyd High School starting next week as part of a new safety initiative, the district announced.
The move comes after a loaded handgun was discovered on a student at the school during a search conducted with a metal detection wand this October.
To bolster security, the district is launching a pilot program using OpenGate metal detectors. Three units will be rotated between entrances at the high school, including the north, south, east, freshman and Floyd Academy doors. Random groups of students will pass through the detectors as the district collects data on their effectiveness.
“There will be a learning curve and expected challenges along the way with a new initiative of this size and scope,” the district said in a statement, while noting that the OpenGate system is used by such large organizations as the NYPD, NFL, Apple and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “But we will continue to make progress and strive to keep our students and staff safe.”
The OpenGate system’s advanced technology detects weapons, rather than every metal object, the district said. So, items like cell phones, keys, wallets, coins and belts won’t sound alarms and cause delays.
What about spiral notebooks?
It remains to be seen if students will need to remove such metallic items at laptops, spiral notebooks and three-ring binders from their backpacks before passing through the security system.
“The pilot program, consisting of the three units at the high school, will help determine the items that will need to be removed in advance,” a district spokesman told Greater Long island. “Before metal detectors are fully implemented, we will clearly communicate this information to students and their families to ensure efficient entry into school each morning.”
When Sarasota County Schools in Florida installed the same system, they shared the graphics below to help inform the community on what would need to be removed from backpacks upon entry into school.
Described as “portable, more visually appealing, and [not giving] the feeling of a courthouse, jail, or airport metal-detection system,” the detectors are capable of screening large numbers of people at a time.
Gun found on William Floyd HS student just before dismissal
The October gun incident at the high school unfolded just before the end of the school day, when the student was brought to an administrator’s office on suspicion of vaping. School authorities found the firearm during a search of the student.
OpenGate informational video
The district said it anticipates that the pilot program at the high school will last at least two months. The district plans to monitor alarm rates, prohibited items found, and how the system affects entry times.
“Once the pilot program has been completed at the high school, pilot programs will begin at the middle schools and elementary schools,” the district said in its statement. “There is no definitive timeline in place at this time, but we are hopeful to have pilot programs begin within the coming months (at the lower level schools).”
Metal detection wands, which have been used in the district for over a decade, will remain a security option for staff.
The district said that the new metal detection system doe not emit harmful radiation and is considered safe to use for those with cardiac pacemakers, insulin pumps, cochlear implants and other medical devices.
Embed from Getty Images
