Osceola High part of pilot program with weapons detection devices at entry
Citing that, “Safe and secure learning environments will always remain the top priority,” the School District of Osceola County issued notice to parents this week that middle and high school students will be subject to random searches when the new school year begins Monday.
A text sent Monday through the district’s messaging system said the “searches of students’ book bags and other containers, including lunch boxes and purses, will be conducted by school administration and principal designees utilizing handheld metal detection devices” are pursuant to School Board Policy.
A separate note went out to Osceola High School parents, noting the school will install new weapons detection devices for the upcoming school year.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff, random searches of students’ belongings in grades 6-12 will take place on a regular basis this school year,” the District message read.
Per Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff, the district will use a randomizer to select a school, classroom and period to be searched, and should take about 10 minutes per classroom. He did not get into the frequency of the checks across the district daily or weekly.
“Let me be clear, we are searching classrooms, not targeting students with big bags or anything like that,” Shanoff said. “And it will be in consistent intervals across all middle and high schools.”
The district called the searches a proactive measure to limit the threat of prohibited items, such as weapons and drugs. Should items be found, incidents would be dealt with according to the district’s Code of Student Conduct, and law enforcement as necessary, the district said.
“This has been a policy for years, so it’s not new. We’ve just found a way to enforce it evenly,” said Shanoff, who noted he got input from the district’s safety and security and legal teams before approving it.
The OHS message noted the new weapons detection devices are state-of-the-art and have been proven to be effective in identifying potential threats.
“Their presence will act as a strong deterrent and significantly reduce the risk of dangerous items being brought onto campus,” it read.
The devices will be located at two entryways where all students will enter and have bags scanned before moving on to class. If an alert is triggered, the bag will get a detailed search.
Staff will be trained to use the devices, which will not collect or store any data.
Shanoff said Osceola is the only county school to feature the devices this year, as a pilot project. The results will be studied regarding expanding their use in more schools in future school years.
School security was made a priority at the state level during the last legislative session. House Bill 1073, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed, created a list of new safety requirements schools must adhere to beginning Aug. 1. They include that all gates or access points meant to restrict any campus access must remain closed and locked when students are on campus unless actively staffed, classrooms must be locked during class periods, and they must show the safest areas where students must shelter in place during an emergency.
