When DeKalb County School District officials prepared to implement a new system to detect weapons as students walk into school this week, they knew there would be a learning curve. But long lines and new stipulations for entering buildings caught some students and their families by surprise.
Some parents took to social media to complain about the “logistical mess” the transition posed in the first and second days of school. Lines of students extended down the sidewalk at some of its more than 130 schools in the first days of the academic year, which began Monday, and made some late to class. At others, items like binders and laptops were found to set off the machines, and students were advised to carry them in their hands.
“The good news is that our rollout of this technology has been overwhelmingly successful in our schools,” the district’s executive director of public safety Brad Gober said in a message to families Tuesday. “We also recognize that with any new technological advancement, additional learning opportunities may be needed, as is the case in a couple of our schools.”
The appeal of the system from Evolv is that it’s supposed to allow students to walk through without stopping or emptying their bags of metal. But it’s expected to be sensitive at first and grow “smarter” over time thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, Gober said before the start of school. He also expected that students would have to learn the most efficient way to go through the detectors.
Chamblee Middle School Principal Brenton Williams advised students in a message Tuesday to carry some items in their hands as they enter the building, so staff can quickly see that it’s not a weapon if the system goes off. The items included scissors, umbrellas, earbuds, locks, metal water bottles, laptops, metal utensils for lunch, three-ring binders, metal eyeglass cases, metal pencil or makeup cases and brass instruments.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“We are still in the process of practicing with our students what items to put out in view as they walk through, which caused the delay seen today. As we continue to practice, we believe that the time it takes for students to enter the building will be greatly reduced,” Williams wrote. “I hope that you will continue to be patient with us as we continue our calibration.”
On Wednesday, there were no lines of students waiting to get into the building shortly after the school day began.
Other schools in the district seemed to have no issues on Wednesday. Students at Columbia High reported no significant delays because of the new system. Freshman Brandon Carter said he has to take his binder out of his backpack when he walks through, and the machine once detected his glasses case, but it’s worth it.
“It made me feel a lot safer,” he said. “I can walk into school knowing that nothing is going to hurt me, no firearms or other weapons.”
The district is working with staff at affected schools to retrain them on how to use the system and trying practice drills.
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