The entrances to Hillsboro Middle School and High School will look a little different this fall.
On July 23, the Hillsboro R-3 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve $129,706 in weapon-detection equipment from Chesterfield-based Elliott Data Systems Inc.
Included in the purchase is a one-time charge of $99,706 for hardware, bag screening equipment, installation, user training and shipping and installation. The district will pay $30,000 annually for software licensing, system monitoring and technical support.
Officials said funding will be provided by district safety and capital improvement funds as well as purchased service funds.
The district received two other bids from Texas-based Diamond Business Services for $135,340 and Arkansas-based AAMSCO for $148,513.
Assistant Superintendent Clay LaRue said that one weapons-detection screening lane will be installed at the middle school and one weapons-detection screening with bag claim will be in place at the high school.
He said the detection system at the middle school will process approximately 1,000 people per hour and the high school system will process 500 people per hour.
“I’m sure if you’ve ever been to a Mercy hospital or any hospital or any national monument you’ve seen them. You walk through it’s pretty easy,” he said.
The purchase comes after security concerns at the high school were raised.
On Feb. 26, several residents spoke to the board about the lack of security at the entrance to Hillsboro High School.
On April 29, a Hillsboro High School student was found with an unloaded handgun and ammunition and taken into custody at the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center by school resource officers.
Superintendent Jon Isaacson said in a letter addressed to parents and staff following the incident that there was no threat to students or staff, and there was no indication that the student brought the weapon to campus with the intent to harm others.
LaRue said the new safeguards will not impact school starting times and will be limited to one doorway per building.
LaRue also said the equipment will not be installed until the middle of September, due to an extended lead time.
“It’s usually a three- to four-week lead time but because of some of the AI technology and pieces it’s looking like an eight- to 10-week lead time,” he said.
The first day of school is Aug. 24.
LaRue said the transition for students will be easy as the devices are “really unnoticeable.”
“Over time, they’ll get used to it just like anything else and adjust. We all talked about (banning) cell phones last summer, and the kids adjusted pretty well,” he said.
Isaacson said the biggest challenge of implementing the systems will likely be among adults.
“I feel strongly that all the teachers need to come through the front doors,” he said. “I will pull a teacher’s master key. We have to, the board is making a $130,000 investment.”
LaRue said both devices are portable and can be moved to large events such as football and basketball games.
Isaacson said other metal detectors will be onsite at various district buildings for special events such as parent parties.
“They don’t have the AI technology, and they won’t be on a daily basis. We’re not going to have a kindergartener going through them.”
LaRue said school safety director Nino Dicandia and community relations coordinator Scott Readnour applied for a grant to fund more weapons detection and other safety items for the district.