Putnam County Schools will conduct tests over the next several months to see how feasible the newly purchased portable metal detectors will be for school entrances.
Putnam County Schools Deputy Director Tim Martin said conducting tests at each school will give the school board an idea on how many metal detectors are needed and if they are viable. Martin said tests will consist of having a metal detector at several entrances.
“They are gonna have a bus entrance, they are gonna have a student drivers entrance, and they are going to have a parent drop-off entrance, and so we are gonna try to figure out, you know, can we have one lane at each of those entrances,” Martin said. “Or are we gonna have to have multiple lanes at each of those entrance and just how is is that going to work.”
Martin said the school district is not only looking for weapons but also looking how quickly each lane can get students into the building. Martin said the efficiency of getting students into the building will play a role in whether the school district wants to buy more metal detectors or punt on the idea.
“It’s been a concern in the past that it takes so long to go through a metal detector and you have to stop everybody and just work one person at a time,” Martin said. “That’s really not good for kids to you know have several hundred kids lined up out the door waiting to enter a building one at a time. So that’s one of our goals is to see how quickly we can move through this process.”
Martin said some school board members are concerned about how the metal detectors might make students feel. Martin said the school district will be seeking input from students and parents throughout the test at each school. Martin said the metal detectors will be an adjustment for students.
“I think that we will have to spend some time talking to the students and probably making several announcements at the school and making sure the kids know that, you know, when we come to a particular school this is where we are gonna be there, and this is how the procedure will work,” Martin said. “you know, we are still working all of those things out, but I really think in the end they will find that it won’t be that big of a deal.”
Martin said he is unsure which high school will be chosen first to test the metal detectors. Martin said he is hoping to have a plan in place before the the school district receives the three metal detectors.
