Parents, students, staff and other community members attending school board meetings in Fairfax County, Virginia, will be screened for weapons as part of a new safety initiative from the school system.
Fairfax County Public Schools added the new layer of security at the start of the school year, according to a news release from the school system.
The school system is asking anyone attending the meetings to come early to budget time for the screening. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for meetings.
The school system already uses the OpenGate weapons detection system in many high schools and plans to roll it out to all middle and high schools.
It’s similar to the systems used at sporting events or concerts.
The same items restricted in schools will apply to school board meetings. Among those items are guns, knives, explosive devices, ammunition, starter guns, paintball guns, pellet guns, blades, brass knuckles, mace and similar devices. Objects that look like weapons aren’t allowed.
There are some items that are OK to bring inside, but may set off the system. Those items include three-ring binders, laptops, metal eyeglass cases, umbrellas and metallic pencil cases.
The school system warned bringing one of those items could slow down the screening process.
In recent years, school board meetings in the U.S. have involved divisive debates that at times turned into physical altercations.
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