The Kingston City School District is considering weapons-detection systems in schools to improve the safety of students and faculty. But are they effective and affordable?

Violence at school, particularly mass shootings, is a growing concern for parents, teachers and students alike. School shootings have increased, reaching a record-breaking 349 in 2023. As a result, more students are walking through metal detectors as they enter school, including over 90,000 students in New York City.

In October, Kingston City High School had a hold-in-place due to a shooting threat that was later deemed unsubstantiated.

“As you are all likely aware, there has been an increase in false threats initiated by students here in our district,” Superintendent Paul Padalino wrote, “while every threat we have investigated has been determined to not be credible, it does not mean that they were harmless.”

A school board meeting held on Oct. 23 included an agenda item focusing on the feasibility of weapons-detecting systems in district schools, drawing concern and support from community members and the board.

Trustee Marc Rider argued that contemporary weapons-detecting gates could detect any kind of weapon, and can do so efficiently, screening around 2,000 people per hour. As Kingston High School has 1,856 students, having five gates around the entrance could mean students would be able to enter within 10-15 minutes.

Objections to metal detectors included concerns about racial disparities, effectiveness and disruptions to the learning environment.

“I read some awful interviews before I got here tonight—perpetrators who shot up their schools who repeatedly said metal detectors would not have deterred them from their actions,” community member Franny Newman said. “Students often feel less safe with the presence of a metal detector. There are racial disparities and discriminatory practices associated with the use of metal detectors.”

Research indicates that schools with higher populations of students of color are more likely to use metal detectors than in predominately white schools. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, in schools with metal detectors, students of color make up 88 percent of enrollment.

Other community members pointed to the need for support in schools rather than weapon detection. Alana Burger, a mother of two Kingston students, said, “I have a lot of friends who are teachers and social workers and I talked to them about what they think the schools need. It's more [teaching assistants] and paying a decent wage, it's bus monitors … it's more social workers. That to me is an actual investment in the security of the school and the children.”

At a Nov. 6 board meeting, the board discussed how the district would pay for metal detectors, bringing up a question from a community member on whether they would buy or lease the weapons detection system. Installing a single metal detector can cost between $1,000 to $30,000, depending on the type and features. Padalino told the board that he would go over the initiative and obtain numbers on the product and personnel. They would also discuss how much the school spends on social workers.

School board trustees were concerned about funding upcoming school events while also affording the cost of weapons-detection systems; Rider was confident that funds from the Smart Schools Bond Act would meet these economic needs.