MIAMI – Miami-Dade’s school district is deliberating a major move when it comes to safety in schools. The question: should it follow in Broward’s footsteps and stock schools with metal detectors?
Kids are back in the classroom in a matter of weeks, but Miami-Dade school officials discussed a major step Wednesday to keeping them safe.
“You want to do everything you possibly can do to try to deter any unfortunate situation to occur in any of our schools,” board Chairwoman Mari Tere Rojas said.
In Wednesday’s workshop, there were ideas for using AI and concerns about costs and how they would work.
“I want to know how effective any solution that we’re considering is before I support it,” board member Luisa Santos said.
6 p.m. report:
In Broward County, metal detectors are coming to high schools after test runs wrap up at summer school programs.
Starting Aug. 12, all high school students and visitors entering any Broward County public high school will go through metal detectors prior to entering the building.
The initiative comes in an effort to enhance security efforts, with the goal of detecting weapons.
Here’s how it works:
Students will show their school issued IDs prior to passing through the detector.
Students will not need to take off their backpacks or remove items, except for laptops, large glass cases, musical instruments and three ring binders.
Students who alert the system will be subject to a second search.
It’s personal for Broward school board member Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa was shot and killed in the Parkland massacre in 2018.
In Miami-Dade, these discussions are just the beginning — the estimated cost is around $20 million.
Like in Broward County, the Miami-Dade proposal would apply to high schools. Another workshop is scheduled for Aug. 7.