Traditional academic year campuses will head back to school in five days, and Cumberland County Schools is adding extra safety precautions, district officials said Wednesday.
In May, the Cumberland County Board of Education voted for the district to have metal detectors — a first for the district — in each school for a total cost of about $3.22 million.
The district will be using 168 OPENGATE Weapons Detection Systems throughout the district, Lee Sumners, prevention and security management facilitator for Cumberland County Schools, said Wednesday during a demonstration of the detectors at Anne Chesnutt Middle School.
“Depending on the school design layout and the student population, it’ll be anywhere from one to three detectors per school,” Sumners said.
The OPENGATE system is a battery-operated walk-through detector that consists of two free-standing pillars that are 6 feet tall.
Metal-detecting hand wands were also purchased and can be used in conjunction with OPENGATE, officials said.
Sumners said the detectors will be installed during an 11-week phased approach starting Sept. 9.
Detectors will be placed at student entrances and can be moved to a school’s main entrance or placed outside and used for any extracurricular event where administrators think they will be needed, Sumners said.
“All students and visitors will be screened prior to entering,” he said.
During the week of Sept. 9, Sumners said, staff members and screeners will be trained to use the system.
School administrators, faculty and staff will man the detectors, officials said.
The metal detectors are designed “to detect weapons of mass violence,” which can include handguns, semi-automatic revolvers, rifles, explosive devices and long-bladed knives, Sumners said. The system doesn’t require students or visitors to remove their backpacks or common items like cellphones or keys, he said.
Sumners said that if an illegal item is found, law enforcement will be notified immediately; and if regular contraband or school-prohibited items are found, school administrators will secure the item and handle the matter.
How parents feel about metal detectors
Parents attending Wednesday’s media demonstration of the metal detectors said they had mixed feelings about the need for metal detectors.
Zenaida Cranford, a family ambassador for the district, said it’s daunting to think about the reasons the metal detectors are needed, but is glad the district is prioritizing safety.
Parent Christopher Figgs agreed with Cranford and said he thinks the district is being proactive rather than reactive.
“Both my kids are in kindergarten and primary,” Figgs said. “So, this is hard to think that my children have to walk through a metal detector every day, but I know that it’s for their safety.”
Anne Chesnutt Middle School Principal David Greene said student safety is administrators’ No. 1 goal, and the metal detectors are another tool to ensure safety.
“I would rather have parents feel a little uncomfortable about this than to have to call a parent or put a message out that we had an incident at the school,” Greene said.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.