
Henry County Schools approved the purchase of a mobile weapons detection system. According to the district, the system will be for unannounced or pop-up security screenings at the high schools. Investments into weapons detection systems began two years ago in 2023.
Editor’s note: Hello, I apologize but there seems to be some confusion I may have inadvertently caused about the purchase and price. The purchase is for multiple units. The school district hasn’t shared the exact number of units being purchased, but based on information I can find online, the cost for each unit is about $20-$25 thousand.
Open Gate weapons detection system
Nearly two years ago, the school district purchased weapons detectors for the high school football stadiums. The screenings expanded to include high school gymnasiums for large events during winter 2023-24. Right now, the district has started a pilot phase of unannounced or pop-up security screenings at high schools. “The pilot phase will inform potential expansion of security screenings at middle and high schools,” shared HCS Chief Leadership Services Officer Suddeth. The expansion requires additional equipment, to include a mobile battery-operated system. The Open Gate system fulfills this purchase. Editor’s update: The number of systems being purchased was not shared.
According to the company, GXC, “OPENGATE is a state-of-the-art wire free, screening portal consisting of two independent and self-powered pillars, with each pillar equipped with a support base and electronic analysis system. It is portable, elegant, easy to set up and ready to use.” The system is in use in several other Georgia school districts. Those include Barrow, Macon-Bibb, Colquitt, Rockdale and Griffin-Spalding County Schools.
The Henry County school board approved the purchase of the Open Gate weapons detection system at their January 2025 meeting. The purchase cost is $467,106.95. The district is using capital accumulation funds for the purchase. The school board designated these funds in June 2023 for safety & security investments.
HCS School Safety
The district continues to make investments into school safety. The state provided $2.5 million in FY 24, while HCS allocated more than $11 million in local funding to safety and security costs. This amounts to $316 spent per student. The budget included hiring 29 Campus Safety Monitors across all elementary schools, complementing those already in place at all the district’s middle and high schools. These investments also include funding the district’s School Resources Officer unit in partnership with the Henry County Police Department.
Henry County Schools has a three-pillar approach to its school safety plan. Those pillars include the following:
- The first pillar is Campus Security Investments, which includes the structural changes and infrastructure improvements that leverage security tools on school campuses.
- The second pillar is Student and Staff Safety, which includes the preparation, training, teaching, and communication around safe practices.
- The third pillar is Conduct and Behavior Expectations, which includes the expectations for acceptable conduct, as defined by the board of Education, in conjunction with articulated consequences and interventions when expectations are not met.
More information about each is available on the school district website.
This section reprinted from the school district website. Featured image shows the Open Gate weapons system in place in Barrow County. Barrow County Schools photo.