“It’s never something you would assume would happen at your school, but I definitely think it kind of opened our eyes and opened up a conversation that’s really important,” said Maize sophomore, Grace Mengelkoch.
The student advisory team, comprised of students from all three high schools, met on Nov. 6 to discuss possible new school safety options in response to the gun incident in September. Earlier that week, the students club visited Wichita East High School, which has OpenGate metal detectors. Students discussed the potential installation of them in our school.
“OpenGate is a system that can help with weapon detection based off of density and detecting metal. So, it looks for cylindrical objects, things that are at a higher density such as a gun of some variety. It has been known to detect other things like Owalas — a brand of metal water bottles for example.” Mengelkoch says.
OpenGate metal detectors can also detect vapes which would help in combatting the issue of students vaping on school property as well. Metal detectors are extremely expensive however, and some Maize students, staff, and parents argue that we aren’t at the point of extremity in this issue that would require metal detectors. Others argue that it is better to be safe than sorry and metal detectors would lower the risk of students even attempting to bring a weapon on campus.
“I think it (metal detector installation) allows people to be more self-aware of what they’re bringing into the school and if someone wants to do it (bring a weapon to school) it implements a little bit more fear and anxiety in them,” said Maize South senior, Keziah Eustache.
Regardless of what the school district decides, one thing we know for sure is that the installation of metal detectors aren’t going to be immediate. The planning, purchasing and installing would likely take until at least summer 2026, according to staff estimates.
In order to conduct full and reliable metal detecting, there needs to be several staff at the door, and enough time allocated for each student to be checked. This could create issues in student attendance because a thorough walk through of each student could set their morning back several minutes.
There are systems already in place where staff at Maize High supervise the hallways during class time and passing periods. This can help ensure that nothing involving could be sneaked in or conducted during class time. We would have to allocate even more staff in order to properly work the entrances and OpenGate machines. Staff emphasizes that it is important to recognize these logistical struggles when making a permanent decision for our school.
An option that could be significantly cheaper and more immediate would be clear backpacks. Many students however are very against clear backpacks due to the possible invasion of privacy. When Dr. Raquel Greer, who hosts the student advisory meetings, mentioned clear backpacks there was a general sigh of dissatisfaction amongst the students. Dr. Greer was asked about student feelings on clear backpacks and what the callbacks are.
“Students felt like it could potentially be a privacy concern. ‘How do I carry what I need that I might not want everyone to see?’ even if it’s not a weapon. So for instance, feminine hygiene products were mentioned and others talked about, clear backpacks are only so large,” Dr. Greer said.
During this extensive meeting, many thoughts and ideas were shared. Ultimately the primary goal of staff is to make sure students and parents of students feel safe and comfortable at school everyday. Maize high schools will continue to prioritize the safety of students and their education.
