Morehead High School

Hello Rockingham County Schools Families and Students, 

The safety and security of your student(s) and our staff is our top priority. To enhance the safety and security of our school campuses, we will start using the OPENGATE weapons detection system. OPENGATE is designed for the automatic screening of people for weapons. It will also identify other items not permitted on school property.

After thoroughly evaluating a number of different products and technologies, RCS has selected the Ceia OPENGATE. This same system is being used in venues around our country, including airports, schools, hospitals, theme parks, stadiums, performing arts centers, government buildings, NFL stadiums and universities. The benefits of the OPENGATE system include: fast and automatic screening; no removal of backpacks, purses, keys and cell phones; extreme transit flow with near zero nuisance alarms; quick to set up; mobile and can be used indoors and outdoors. 

OPENGATE is a state-of-the-art, fully-open, walk-through detection system that is already in use in stadiums, arenas, theme parks, hospitals, museums, theaters, convention centers and transportation hubs. It is portable, and can be used indoors or outdoors. RCS is one of thousands of districts throughout the county, state and country implementing the OPENGATE system to better protect our students, staff and visitors.  

All students and visitors will be subject to screening as they enter a school and at other school events by walking through the OPENGATE. If OPENGATE detects any items that are not permitted, a secondary screening will be conducted. Illegal and prohibited items discovered during the secondary screening will be confiscated and could lead to school discipline and/or legal consequences.

Since we announced to our district staff we would be implementing this new safety measure, our safety, technology and administrative staff have been working on its implementation. Principals evaluated student and visitor entrances and parking at each school. Changes to the designated parking and entrances will be communicated by the Principal of each middle and high school well before the beginning of the school year.

As with anything new – especially involving technology – it takes time to learn the system and incorporate it into daily operations. Holmes Middle School has been selected as our trial school this spring and all remaining middle and high schools will have their systems prior to the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. By initially implementing this new technology at a single school, it will afford us the ability to evaluate the process and make the changes necessary for continued effectiveness and efficiency. 

All students and visitors will be screened when entering our middle and high schools. As students approach their school entrance, they will need to remove their Chromebook/laptop, 3-ring binders that have metal rings, compact umbrellas, tin pencil cases, eyeglass cases and hand them to a staff member or place them on the table. We recommend students come to school with zipper less computer cases & sleeves, as well as, plastic cases and containers because metal containers may cause the OPENGATE to alarm and require a secondary screening. Students will then walk through the OPENGATE Weapon Detection system while carrying their book bags. As long as there are no weapons or large metal objects in the book bag, the student will be able to claim their belongings off the table or from staff and continue to class. If there is an alert as the student passes through, a secondary screening will be conducted to determine the cause of the alert.

Parents, please speak with your students and be sure to remove any metal objects prior to arriving at school which will make passing through the OPENGATE much more efficient. We encourage you to discuss these new procedures with your child(ren) and stress the importance of following the directions of those overseeing the scanning process and our collective commitment to keeping them and their classmates safe.

We also need your support in ensuring students arrive at school on time. As we were monitoring processes, we have noted some of our students are arriving at school later - either driving themselves or being dropped off by someone. It appears the thought is they could be late because they would get a tardy pass due to the weapons detector checks.  Implementing the OPENGATE Weapons Detection checks will not create a need to issue tardy passes. Students who arrive late to class will be issued tardy consequences so we encourage everyone to adjust your morning routines by 5 to 10 minutes as everyone adjusts to our new safety procedures. 

This new security measure will require everyone’s patience as it could impact school drop-off and pick-up procedures. The first two weeks of school always require restraint and understanding as students, staff and families adjust – even when no major changes are being implemented. Keep in mind, the minor inconvenience we experience now is providing an added layer of safety, security and peace of mind in our schools.   

Each day our district welcomes more than 13,000 students and staff into our buildings. With all of us working collaboratively together, we are more likely to accomplish this goal. District staff and school administrators will be monitoring these new procedures to help ensure we are as efficient, and safe, as possible. Thank you for your understanding!

We have to always remember: no school district, business or public entity is immune from senseless violence despite our best efforts. We will continue to look for ways to protect our students and staff to the best of our ability. Thank you for your support as our district evolves to maintain a safe and effective learning environment.

[FAQ's are below.]

Sincerely,

Sean P. Gladieux

Director of Safety & PIO

Rockingham County Schools

FAQ's:

Why is the District conducting daily weapons detection screenings at middle and high schools? The purpose of these screenings is threefold: detect and prevent potential weapons from being brought into the school; deter the act of bringing weapons and illegal items into the school; reduce the potential for violent incidents.

How does the detection system work?  The system utilizes two towers students and staff walk through at a natural pace. If the towers turn green, no threat has been detected and the individual passes through without stopping. A staff member will assist in monitoring the screening to instantly identify if a potential threat has been detected. If the system identifies a potential threat, the tower will alert with a red light and sound. That individual can then undergo secondary screening.

Who will conduct the screenings? Screenings will be conducted by RCS staff. All staff members operating the equipment or conducting searches will be thoroughly trained.

Who will be subject to the initial screening process? All students and visitors will be subject to the screening process. 

Will students with disabilities also be screened? Yes, all students will be screened unless it’s determined that the student poses no threat to the school or in situations where the student is unable to participate in the screening due to their disability.

What happens if the alarm on the system sounds? Staff will manage the detection system by utilizing their training in the system’s implementation protocols. In most cases, the individual who sets the alarm off will go through a secondary screening where a staff member will search the backpack and other belongings. A hand-held metal detector may be used.

Will the screenings occur at public events held in the high school (athletic contests, concerts, plays, etc.)? Yes. The system will be deployed and utilized at school events occurring inside and outside of our middle and high schools.

Why are zip-up binders no longer allowed? The metal spine of Chromebooks, laptops, and large notebooks will cause the detector to alert because the shape and density of the metal spine are similar to a potential weapon. Since these items will not go through the detectors and will not be searched individually in order to ensure efficient entry into the building when the detectors are in use, students will no longer be allowed to carry zip-up binders/notebooks that could conceal a weapon.

Which schools will have the detectors? The weapon detection systems will be in place in all middle and high schools at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. Staff will be trained on the detectors before the actual implementation. 

Will the detection system pick up knives? Yes, knives are included in the list of potential weapons the system is capable of detecting. 

Will the detection system pick up vapes? Yes, the system is capable of detecting vapes and similar devices. 

Is the detection system safe for people with an implanted or wearable medical device? In keeping with FDA guidance on Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) and walk-through metal  detectors, it is recommended that visitors and system operators with implantable or wearable medical devices consult their device manufacturer or physician for information relating to their own specific device. 

Are these systems safe for long-term exposure, i.e. for children walking through daily or personnel staffing the system? The detection system uses extremely low-frequency radio waves (ELF) - a non-ionizing sensing modality - in compliance with the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineer’s (IEEE) 2019 guidance for safe operation with the general public, which applies to regular/occupational as well as infrequent exposure. 

Is facial recognition utilized in the detection system? The technology does not use facial recognition. The system evaluates the items passing through it and, depending on the setting, will determine the possibility of an instrument or object that could potentially inflict harm to multiple individuals.

How will they be monitored? System settings will be monitored and changed by administrators through an app that allows the sensitivity of the detection system to be changed based on the objective of the screening. For example, the sensitivity can be set to detect a piece of metal as small as a paper clip.

Is there a policy governing student searches and metal detectors? Yes. BOE Policy 4342 – Student Searches