LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The call from many Louisville parents to boost security in schools may soon be getting answered.
A spokesperson for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) told WHAS11 that the school district is on track to begin some installations of weapons detector units in October.
"The campus walkthroughs have taken place," JCPS Chief of Communications Carolyn Callahan said in a statement.
Callahan also confirmed that Eastern High School, one of the largest schools in the district, will be part of the first round of installations. It's also one of several JCPS schools that have had guns reported in their facility in this calendar year.
"It's my understanding that these will go into the schools where we have had the greatest number of reports of weapons," JCPS Board of Education member Linda Duncan told WHAS 11 Thursday.
Just last week, in a letter sent to families, Eastern High's principal reported a fight between two students during lunch where "one of the students held up a steak knife." Thankfully, the school said no one was hurt.
But violent incidents like these, which continue to pop up regularly across the district, remain a serious concern for parents and school leaders alike.
Duncan hopes the weapons detection system, designed by Evolv Technology, makes a dent in the number of incidents posing risks to student safety.
"I know no solution is going to be perfect, but what I'm looking for is what can help us reduce the odds," Duncan said.
The units will be used to catch any concealed weapons, like guns, in students' possession as they enter their schools each morning. The hope is the technology is efficient enough to avoid persistent long lines and delays.
The mission started more than seven months ago, when JCPS' Board of Education voted in favor of looking into installing weapons detection technology, amid pressure from parents to act.
"I think it will alert students that something is going to be happening, if they're caught with [weapons]," said Carol Haddad, a former JCPS Board member and chair.
Haddad, who served in her role for nearly 30 years, told WHAS 11 that JCPS' shift to weapons detectors is a reminder of how much things have changed in recent years.
"We would have some guns in school, but nothing like now. You never heard about pepper spray. The violence is just rampant, and it's really sad," she said.
Haddad says that while she supports the move, the Louisville community struggling to adequately support its kids -- and provide resources to them -- remains at the heart of this issue.
"Kids are not learning when all that's going on, and it's going to affect them more than anyone else," Haddad said.
JCPS officials say they'll start with installing these units in high schools and then move on to covering middle schools by the 2024-25 school year.
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