Safety In Our Schools

erica truong | jan. 29 2024 | features

On the first day of the 2023-2024 school year, students at Stanton College Preparatory School were lined up around the front of the main building. They were told to take out their binders, laptops, and metal water bottles as they approached the entrance. There, students passed through a metal detector-like machine with faculty members on both sides sliding yellow buckets full of their school supplies. This procedure has become standard practice every morning as students enter school. This scanner, formally known as an Evolv detector, was installed as a safety measure alongside chipped IDs and smart-button badges to keep students safe from threats of violence that have become increasingly prevalent in schools nationwide. 

“We’re always trying to find better ways to make sure [students] can come to school and be kids,” said Mr. Jim Culbert, chief technology officer for Duval County Public Schools. “[We want students to] concentrate on learning [without having] to worry about the safety aspect of it.” 

The introduction of safety measures is nothing new at Stanton. In “Drawing the Line,” the cover story published in the February 2020 issue of Devil’s Advocate, then staff writer Charlotte Rogers discussed various new equipment and measures, several of which parallel ones seen this year, such as metal detectors. 

The Evolv detectors were the first of the new safety equipment introduced this year at Stanton. Originally put into effect January 2023 at Riverside High School, these detectors are currently being implemented in all DCPS high schools. According to Mr. Culbert, Evolv detectors work by a combination of radar-like technology and artificial intelligence to search for various weapons and potential explosives. If a student is flagged by the detector, they are pulled to the side to get their bag checked.  

DCPS has opted for Evolv detectors over traditional metal detectors because they can scan high amounts of people with lower rates of false positives. When using traditional metal detectors with security wands, some schools were delayed up to 45 minutes. The new system is meant to minimize this hold-up and check students in a timely fashion.  

“You can do a high volume of students every day and it assures students that there are no weapons on campus without disrupting their entry into the school,” said Mr. Culbert. 

According to Mr. Culbert, another aspect that makes the detectors unique is they are intended to not flag harmless items such as phones and keys. However, they do signal some objects, such as laptops and three-ring binders, because they appear similar to weapons. 

Along with the Evolv detectors, new IDs have been introduced to students this school year. They are mainly intended to be a part of a new bus protocol where students will tap their IDs on a card reader as they enter and exit the bus. IDs will be connected to an app that notifies parents of their child’s transportation movements, allowing them to see the location of the bus. 

This system has emerged from the shortage of bus drivers that has been a prevailing problem over the past couple of years as some buses have had to merge multiple routes, eventually delaying when students get home and causing concern among parents. Although this system has not been fully adopted at Stanton, DCPS plans to implement it district-wide by the 2024-2025 school year. 

“We’re ready for the buses to start the process,” said Stanton Assistant Principal Mr. Michael Kerr. “We’ve given the IDs to students. It is up to the buses to get the equipment since they are a separate company.” 

DCPS also has plans for this new ID to be used when purchasing food from the cafeteria and for attendance. These IDs are believed to be more efficient than the bar codes previously used. In many instances, scanning them is a long process and they are often obstructed by their plastic holders. Although the new IDs are quite costly, their practical use is a valuable tool for the district.  

The IDs would also be used after emergency evacuations. According to Mr. Kerr, they are meant to reunite children and their parents following such events.  

“The IDs, especially the newer ones, are used as a reunification process,” said Mr. Kerr. “If there was an evacuation and we bring [students] outside, a district team would come to scan [their] IDs to release [them] to [their] parents.” 

Another safety feature students may have noticed is a strange alarm in every classroom that flashes various colors. These alarms, or sensors, are connected to smart-button badges designed by Centegix. Faculty members are required to possess them at all times and use them in the event of an emergency.  

According to Duval County Public Schools Police Officer DJ Burkitt, the various flashing colors correspond to different types of emergencies. As of now, schools are primarily using red for instances of a lock down and green for all clear. In cases they flash red, the speakers play a pre-recorded audio detailing basic lock down procedures while also displaying them over all school-issued computers. They alert the school police, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and certain district-level workers through the Centegix app. 

“In instances they are pressed, we’ll coordinate with staff and find out if it was accidental, a drill, or legitimate,” said Officer Burkitt. “If it was legitimate, then the school will go on lockdown, and we’ll try to determine the source and have [other school officers and JSO] come in too.” 

Reactions to the new safety equipment and protocols have varied. Some teachers have questioned if the new changes make much of a difference to the school’s safety. 

“I always have my phone so I feel like I can dial 911 in the same amount of time I could [push the button] but there may be some benefits [depending on who it alerts],” said Mr. Ben Mackay, a history teacher at Stanton. “If it is a quicker response time, then it is an improvement. Hopefully, we won’t have to find out.” 

Similarly, some students have also felt conflicted over the new safety protocols. As the new Evolv detectors become a regular procedure in their lives, some believe it is a hassle to go through every morning.  

“It’s great that the school is doing something,” said senior John Ferreira. “But I do find the measures counterproductive, especially the whole metal detector thing since it just really crowds people up at the entrance.” 

Another concern regarding the new equipment is its cost. In a special Duval County School Board meeting held in August 2022, the district revealed the cost of the detectors to be around $8 million, which will be paid over the next five years. Similarly, Mr. Culbert said purchasing the ID system costs roughly $600,000 a year. While some students feel the prices for the equipment are not worth it, others believe this demonstrates the district’s commitment to safety. 

With the new measures the district has implemented for school safety, responses have been both positive and negative. Although the new equipment may be valuable, Officer Burkitt believes they should not replace human eyes and ears.  

“No technology or resource is 100% accurate so it’s up to us to be aware of what’s going on,” said Officer Burkitt. “We are our biggest proponents for safety, so [if you hear or see] something, say something. That’s the biggest way to keep schools safe because we’re going to hear and see things long before someone presses a button.” 

Violence at schools is a common problem that has arisen in recent times. This school year, various safety measures have been put in place to combat this issue, and data for their long-term effectiveness is still being collected. Although technology cannot completely solve safety issues on campus, DCPS is striving to make school a safer place for all students and staff, where they can focus on working and learning instead of lingering safety issues.