Metro Nashville School Board unanimously approves weapons detection systems in all high schools

A student walking through an Evolv weapons detection system (Photo by Evolv)

In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, members of the Metro Nashville Public School Board of Education approved an effort to install concealed weapons detection systems in all 18 high schools in the district.

The move comes following January’s deadly shooting at Antioch High School, when 17-year-old student Solomon Henderson opened fire in the school cafeteria, killing another student, 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and himself. After the shooting, the district launched a pilot program of the Evolv Concealed Weapon Detection system at the school. Evolv utilizes smart technology and AI to screen students as they enter the school at a normal pace of entry.  When Evolve detects something suspicious it marks it with a red box on an image of the student to help security conduct a physical search. The system is already used at Nissan Stadium and seven other school districts in the state.

During a presentation to board members Tuesday night, Metro Schools Director Dr. Adrienne Battle said the pilot program at Antioch High School is already running smoothly and expanding it to all high schools will make them safer without causing significant disruptions.

“To be clear we know this isn’t a perfect solution but part of a multi-layered plan to increase security,” said Dr. Battle. “The goal is to balance security measures with the smooth operation of a school day.”

The expanded contract would cost the district roughly $5 million over the next four years to cover the cost of the equipment. It’s an expense many in attendance Tuesday said they felt was worth paying.

“Nothing is worth more than the safety of our students, so let’s keep adding these layers of protection,” said Hannah Nguyen, a junior at John Overton High School and MNPS school board student representative.

“You can ask any parent how much they are willing to spend to save their children’s life and I grantee you they’ll tell you every penny,” said Leland Evans, who has children in the district.

Not everyone was in favor of adding the weapons detection systems

“I think it significantly reduces the fear that some people feel. It doesn’t do that for me. It’s not really reducing danger,” said a father of two MNPS students.  “There’s lots of ways a person who is determined to do harm can get around a weapons detection system.”

The district plans to begin moving forward with the implementation of the new systems right away, rolling it out with the installation of two units per week. Dr. Battle also noted that once the high school systems were in place, the district would examine the possibility of expanding the system to other school levels.