Will school weapon detections cause class time delay?

[Anonymous]

I just received an email about detection system & Arrival information from the high school. Student can use only two door to enter the school building in the morning during 7:40-8:10. After 8:10, only one door remains as the building entrance. Students must go through the weapon screening systems and arrive class at 8:10. Some items must be removed when students before students getting in line such as medal three ring binders, laptops, collapsible umbrellas, metal lunch boxes, metal pencil cases, metal glass cases. Is it feasible for over 2000 students to pass the weapon screening system using only two doors in just 30 minutes? What if the congestion causes crows collapse?

[Anonymous]

Collapse?

[Anonymous]

We are in Prince William where we have them and we have found that it moves very quickly. Get there ontime or early and you will not have problems. It's a relief as a parent not to have to worry about my child getting shot or stabbed at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in Prince William where we have them and we have found that it moves very quickly. Get there ontime or early and you will not have problems. It's a relief as a parent not to have to worry about my child getting shot or stabbed at school.

For students taking school bus, when to arrive school is out of their control. But it is good to know that it works in other places.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course the metal detectors will cause delays and put kids at risk.

3000 students trying to filter through 3 doors with backpack inspections is going to result in hundreds to thousands of kids clustered outside the schools for 20-30 minutes each morning.

Rainy days are going to be awful.

Our principals and security team usually direct the extensive drop off traffic in the mornings. This takes a minimum of 8 principals and admin. Who is going to do the morning traffic management? The remaining admins and counselors, who usually patrol the common areas for trouble? Did FCPS account for the other safety roles school leadership is already committed to during morning drop off?

FCPS also cut funds for crossing guards. That is a huge risk for students, far bigger than what the metal detectors are supposed to prevent. How quickly into the start of the year will we hear of a FCPS student getting hit or killed by a rushing morning commuter due to the removal of crossing guards from the schools?

This is NOT a well thought out policy.

Honestly, I would rather have crossing guards at all the schools than metal detectors at the high schools and middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in Prince William where we have them and we have found that it moves very quickly. Get there ontime or early and you will not have problems. It's a relief as a parent not to have to worry about my child getting shot or stabbed at school.

Students should not have to get to school any earlier than they already do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just received an email about detection system & Arrival information from the high school. Student can use only two door to enter the school building in the morning during 7:40-8:10. After 8:10, only one door remains as the building entrance. Students must go through the weapon screening systems and arrive class at 8:10. Some items must be removed when students before students getting in line such as medal three ring binders, laptops, collapsible umbrellas, metal lunch boxes, metal pencil cases, metal glass cases. Is it feasible for over 2000 students to pass the weapon screening system using only two doors in just 30 minutes? What if the congestion causes crows collapse?

Our school started it last year and my child arrived early and still was getting marked late and some days absent from first period. 3,000 kids are not getting through before the bell. Why should students be missing valuable class time and having to deal with attendance office for a system that doesn't work for these large schools.

[Anonymous]

The SS will be a nightmare. The entrances are bottle-necked on normal days so I can't imagine what it will be like with detectors buzzing for every 3-ring binders that passes through.

Lake Braddock, Robo, Hayfield

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Prince William where we have them and we have found that it moves very quickly. Get there ontime or early and you will not have problems. It's a relief as a parent not to have to worry about my child getting shot or stabbed at school.

Students should not have to get to school any earlier than they already do.

Students should not have to be afraid their classmates will shoot them but they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The SS will be a nightmare. The entrances are bottle-necked on normal days so I can't imagine what it will be like with detectors buzzing for every 3-ring binders that passes through.

Lake Braddock, Robo, Hayfield

Westfield was a nightmare last year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Prince William where we have them and we have found that it moves very quickly. Get there ontime or early and you will not have problems. It's a relief as a parent not to have to worry about my child getting shot or stabbed at school.

Students should not have to get to school any earlier than they already do.

Students should not have to be afraid their classmates will shoot them but they do.

standing outside in a line for an hour does not make them feel safe.....this is security theater.

[Anonymous]

Westfield had huge delays in spring when they tried this AND it was when all the seniors were off campus.

They had two doors/two screeners total. Kids were an hour late to class every day.

The buses held kids on the bus until the pre-screening let-off time then they all got off at once and got in line. It made no sense.

The one police officer who directs the traffic for the whole school was pulled to assist.

I can't imagine what the lines will
Look like with 2700+ kids and two screeners.

PWC school have much lower populations and a lot more screeners.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westfield had huge delays in spring when they tried this AND it was when all the seniors were off campus.

They had two doors/two screeners total. Kids were an hour late to class every day.

The buses held kids on the bus until the pre-screening let-off time then they all got off at once and got in line. It made no sense.

The one police officer who directs the traffic for the whole school was pulled to assist.

I can't imagine what the lines will
Look like with 2700+ kids and two screeners.

PWC school have much lower populations and a lot more screeners.0

Yup

[Anonymous]

It defies logic that anyone could think 3000 kids could go individually through 2 metal detectors (taking our their laptops and any metal) in 20 minutes. That simply defies the laws of physics and time/space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just received an email about detection system & Arrival information from the high school. Student can use only two door to enter the school building in the morning during 7:40-8:10. After 8:10, only one door remains as the building entrance. Students must go through the weapon screening systems and arrive class at 8:10. Some items must be removed when students before students getting in line such as medal three ring binders, laptops, collapsible umbrellas, metal lunch boxes, metal pencil cases, metal glass cases. Is it feasible for over 2000 students to pass the weapon screening system using only two doors in just 30 minutes? What if the congestion causes crows collapse?

I mean, if we’re going to get worked up about kids losing a couple minutes to security checks, we should probably also take a hard look at all the other “non-academic priorities” clogging up the schedule. Between the weekly “identity circles,” mandatory equity assemblies, and class time spent rehashing the district’s latest culturally responsive icebreaker, we’ve already shaved the day down to about 27 minutes of actual instruction.

At least the metal detectors keep knives out. The rest of the interruptions just keep critical thinking out.