Prince William School Board set to move forward with weapons-detection systems at middle, high schools

The Prince William County School Board is moving forward with a plan to outfit all 35 of its high schools, middle schools and non-traditional schools with high-tech weapons-detection systems to scan students for guns and other weapons on an everyday basis starting next school year.

Superintendent LaTanya McDade presented a plan during the Wednesday, April 19 school board meeting to install “Evolv Express” detectors, which use artificial intelligence, from late August through the end of September. The school board took no votes during the meeting but is slated to do so on May 3.

The school division would lease the security systems for four years at a cost of $2.98 million for the first year and $2.58 million for the second through fourth year of the contract for a total cost of $10.7 million, according to the school division.

The school division also anticipates a cost of $725,000 to provide staff with stipends to arrive an hour before bell time to assist with screening, according to Vernon Bock, the school divisions chief of operations.  

While the school division’s recently approved $1.6 billion budget did not include funding for the Evolv systems, the money will be available due to an uptick in the county’s revenue forecast for fiscal year 2024, which begins July 1, John Wallingford, the school division’s chief financial officer, said at the meeting.

“I fully support the recommendation by Superintendent Dr. LaTanya McDade to adopt the Evolv weapons detection system for all high and middle schools,” School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef (at large) said in a statement issued after the meeting.

During the meeting, Lateef said he had heard of “no opposition” to the plan from his fellow school board members, and in the statement added: “The school board intends to approve these systems and implement them this fall.”

The proposed lease will include 81 Evolv systems, all of which are portable and plug into existing electrical outlets. High schools would receive five units: three to cover three entry points into the schools, one outdoor unit to use at football games and one spare unit. Middle schools would receive two units to cover two entry points.

All entry points with the equipment will be monitored by staff while students and staff enter the building at the beginning of each school day, but only the main entrance will be monitored as people come and go throughout the day, officials said.  

The school division introduced the Evolv Express systems to schools and the community throughout the last two months by holding three in-person and one virtual community forum to allow community members to see how the system works and to offer feedback. The company lent a model to the county for six weeks for demonstration purposes.

More than 600 people participated in the forums, and 550 comments and questions were submitted through a QR code set up to receive feedback, including over 240 unsolicited statements of support for the Evolv system, Bock said at the meeting.

“The community has spoken with near unanimity over months of engagement to support the artificial intelligence scanners (Evolv System) to add another layer of security to our schools,” Lateef said in his statement.

A team of school administrators and School Board member Loree Williams (Woodbridge) visited a high school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district in North Carolina last fall to see the equipment in action.

During the meeting, Williams said she was impressed by the equipment and how it worked in the schools but said she was initially skeptical of the idea.

“Being a former Prince William County student, I do remember when Woodbridge High School did have metal detectors, and I remember what it felt like to be a student going through those, and the negative impact that it had on self-esteem. It did create sort of like a prison environment,” Williams said.

But Williams said after seeing the Evolv system in action, talking to students, staff, administrators, parents, and even the police chief at the Charlotte, N.C. high school, she felt much better about the idea.

“The response was overwhelming from all parties involved. … They did recognize that no system is foolproof, but it did definitely impact their ability to feel safe and secure in the school environment in a positive manner,” Williams said, adding: “And I can say that that’s one of the first times as a school board member, where I think every single stakeholder was in agreement with it.”

Bock said the Evolv system will “detect potential threats such as knives, guns and explosives.” Based on the equipment’s sensitivity setting, Evolv can detect “ghost guns, 3-D printed and simulated guns,” and in some instances, vapes, “depending on the construction and material,” Bock said.

“This system will improve the detection and deterrence of weapons at schools. No system is perfect, but the school board is committed to adding effective layers of security to improve the safety and security of all students, teachers and staff,” Lateef said in his statement, adding: “The superintendent and the PWCS School Board will continue to prioritize security and safety and adopt best practices and technologies as they continue to evolve.”

Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham, Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth, and the entire board of county supervisors back the plan to employ the Evolv screening system at schools, officials said at the meeting. 

The Evolv Express systems have been installed at more than 500 school districts, the Pentagon, more than 30 professional sports venues, Smithsonian museums and theme parks across the country, Bock said at the meeting.

The systems have been credited with stopping more than 100,000 weapons from entering venues between January and November 2022, according to an Evolv news release.

Reach Cher Muzyk at cmuzyk@fauquier.com