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Metal Detectors could soon be reality in all Duval County High Schools

The district says the move comes after the Parkland shooting and recent troubles within their own district.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--- A major change could soon be coming to Duval County Public Schools. The school board is currently looking at adding metal detectors at every school across the county.

The district says the move comes after the Parkland shooting and recent troubles within their own district. The latest both a bomb and school shooting threat at Mandarin High school last week.

“Years ago, we didn’t have to worry about children bringing guns and knives to school, but now it’s part of our daily routine," said Lisa, a mother of a high schooler.

Students daily routine could soon include walking through at least two metal detectors and wand detectors at every high school throughout Duval County.

Duval County School Board officials say the district is in the procurement process now and if all goes as planned, could have equipment in the next 90 days with training to follow.

“Yeah, I think it’s about time," Lisa said.

The school district is looking for a grant from the state to pay for them. A move one grandmother says is long overdue.

“The school districts are just trying to fix an ongoing problem, the best way that they can, but this issue has gotten way past where it should have,” she said.

Out of a dozen other parents and guardians First Coast News spoke with off camera, most were open to the idea of adding them. One man felt the move would be an invasion of student’s privacy.

It’s still unclear how the schools would decide where to put them, if more staff would be added to use them and if students' class schedules would be changed as a result.

“I don’t think it would be bad for them to have to come maybe 10-15 minutes early just to make sure that they’re safe," Lisa said. “They need to do something to protect our children.”

More specifics are expected next month when the school board addresses this issue at their monthly workshop.

Duval County Public schools have had five reported gun incidents so far this year. From a year to year basis, Duval had 18 during the 2017-2018 school year and 16 during the 2016-2017 school year.

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