ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Public Schools announced last week that it’s launching a pilot program to test the use of a walk-through weapons detection system called OPENGATE to screen every student and campus visitor.
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The district will start using the system at Wekiva High School on Monday morning.
The new technology will be installed at seven high schools, which district officials said were chosen at random.
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These six other schools that will implement the new system in phases, from January through March.
- Boone HS
- Horizon HS
- Lake Nona HS
- Evans HS
- Timber Creek HS
- Jones HS
Parents received specific information from students’ principals as to the exact date when the screenings will begin.
The district said students will be asked to remove their laptop computers from their backpacks, the metal in the laptops could trigger the new system.
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If a student or visitor sets off the detectors, they will go through a secondary screening or a search will be conducted.
If they fail a secondary screening or search, the items will be confiscated and the student will face district disciplinary actions or legal action.
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