Because of school safety concerns, Mansfield ISD will introduce Evolv Express security scanners to high school campuses with Mansfield High School starting October 10.
**UPDATE October 10: Rollout date has been pushed to October 12 in response to complications with detectors at Timberview.**
“The system is set up to be minimally disruptive to our current entry practices,” principal Trent Dowd said. “All non-staff will enter through it and will only have to stop if the system alerts to something on them or in their bag.”
The Evolv scanners use machine learning algorithms, advanced sensors, and data analytics to quickly identify potential threats. According to the Evolv website, this allows a continuous flow of students. Evolv emphasizes that Evolv Express is not a metal detector, but a weapons detection system.
“I don’t see a downside,” art teacher Joel DeLong said. “The only thing it’s going to be is an inconvenience for people in the morning, but it’s worth it.”
The purchase of the detectors was approved during the August 15 school board meeting, though they were not announced until October 2. The first scanners will go live at Timberview High School on October 4.
“I wasn’t aware of these changes, but this might just be because I’m not in the loop on school board policies,” junior Luke Underhill said. “Maybe that’s my own fault for not being educated, but it isn’t something that any regular student would have any idea about.”
Students will only be required to take out their laptop or Chromebook and hold it perpendicular to their chest to pass through the scanners.
“Whenever you add a new system, especially when technology is involved, there will always be kinks to work out,” Dowd said. “If we do have those issues, we will work to tweak our process to make sure it works best for us.”
The scanners will be placed at the Broad Street Entrance, Bus Entrance, and West Cafeteria Entrance. Evolv claims that the scanners are ten times faster than the average metal detector, and can process 2,000 students in 30 minutes.
“I think they’re necessary with how many school shootings there are,” junior Mason Ross said. “But, someone could have something in their bag and it gets flagged as another thing. So maybe the wrong things being detected by the detectors can hold up a line and make it difficult to get into the building.”
Any students that are flagged will be searched according to MISD policy by a staff member. Evolv markets a less invasive search by pinpointing the location of any concerning items.
“I think it’s not very obtrusive so it’s not really infringing on anybody’s rights,” DeLong said. “It’s something that should be able to flow well and get people through the door faster.”
With the scanners, the district is looking to replace wand-metal detection and random class searches with a more streamlined system.
“I often think about how we can make our campus a safer place, so I am excited about them,” Dowd said. “It’s another way that we can work together to make MHS a safe place.”
