After arrest of Dwyer student with gun, which high schools will get metal detectors next?

William T. Dwyer High students and their families spent part of the school day on edge on Jan. 18 as a student was arrested on charges of bringing a gun to school and the campus was placed on lockdown.

Although no one was injured, it was the latest in a spate of arrests of armed students on campuses across South Florida that has led to parents and school boards looking for new ways to protect and "harden" schools against potential violence.

Last year, Palm Beach County's school board approved $2.25 million to install metal detectors at all public high schools. So far, the devices scan students at John I. Leonard, Palm Beach Lakes, Seminole Ridge and Palm Beach Gardens high schools. Those schools were part of a successful pilot program that began last summer.

Four schools are up next to receive metal detectors: Park Vista, Palm Beach Central, Forest Hill and Boynton Beach.

More: Palm Beach County Schools to spend $2.25M on new metal detectors. Where will they go?

Training began this week on how to use the machines at those schools, according to School Police Chief Sarah Mooney. While Dwyer isn't a part of the next crop, Mooney said all county high schools should be outfitted with metal detectors by the end of the school year.

All high school students should expect to pass through the metal detectors each day come the start of the 2024-25 school year in August.

Meanwhile, nearby school districts are also turning to metal detectors to bring a sense of safety after similar arrests.

Vero Beach High School began using metal detectors last week just four days after a student was arrested with a gun in his backpack. The Indian River School District and the sheriff's office had already purchased the metal detectors (and split the cost) to use at sporting events. Metal detectors will soon be installed at all of the district's high schools, TC Palm reported.

In Broward County, two students were arrested in one week on charges of bringing loaded guns onto school district property in Miramar and at Stranahan High School.

Although all Broward County schools currently use handheld metal detectors to randomly scan students for potential weapons, Superintendent Pete Licata announced last week that the district would begin testing walk-through metal detectors at some high schools, NBC 6 Miami reported.

Miami-Dade County schools use random metal-detecting scans but don't have permanent metal detectors on campuses, according to district records.

How will new metal detectors work at Palm Beach County high schools?

The OpenGate scanners used by the district are freestanding pairs of battery-operated metal detectors that students walk through as they enter campus. The scanners are calibrated to detect large metal items, multicaliber weapons and improvised explosive devices, according to the company's website.

Occasionally, three-ring binders and large umbrellas have set off the scanners, Mooney said in June. The scanners do not detect Tasers, pepper spray, cellphones, jewelry or piercings, vapes or electronic cigarettes.

Mooney said school police have not recovered any weapons or arrested anyone who has activated the metal detector so far. She said that "the added layer of security has had a positive impact. Although we have not recovered any weapons, the introduction of the metal detectors has created a visual reminder that some items are prohibited on campus."

Currently, there are no plans to install metal detectors at either middle or elementary schools in Palm Beach County.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: After arrest of armed Dwyer student, more schools get metal detectors