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Following two classroom incidents involving students with weapons, the Detroit school district is investing millions in ramping up security.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board voted this week to spend $4.3 million to hire 38 additional security guards for the rest of the school year. This month the district will also begin a pilot program of new security screening at 10 schools and a new visitor check-in process.
The district promised in October to make changes to its security protocols after an eighth grader stabbed another girl in class at Gompers Elementary-Middle School with a knife her mother allegedly brought into the school past a metal detector.
Months later, a student reportedly chased another with a boxcutter around a Denby High School classroom.
Now, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says additional security guards will help supervise students throughout the day at high schools and K-8 schools that have had recent safety concerns. The district hasn’t said which schools.
The superintendent said the district is confident there will be room in the budget to continue filling the positions next fall.
The district is currently working to fill 41 security guard vacancies, which include the 38 new positions.
The security screening pilot will last the remainder of the year, Vitti said. If the process is faster and more efficient at detecting weapons, the district will consider adding it to more schools next school year.
The district didn’t say how much the pilot will cost or which schools will take part.
Parents were notified Wednesday that the district began implementing a uniform visitor check-in process at all schools.
The superintendent said the district is confident there will be room in the budget to continue filling the positions next fall.
The district is currently working to fill 41 security guard vacancies, which includes the 38 new positions.
The security screening pilot will last the remainder of the year, Vitti said. If the process is faster and more efficient at detecting weapons, the district will consider adding it to more schools next school year.
Now, all visitors, including parents, must show a photo ID, be photographed at the front desk, and wear a visitor badge with their name and image.
If parents or guardians forget their IDs they will be required to fill out additional paperwork.
“We realize this is a new process and may be frustrating for some visitors but please keep in mind that this is another safety strategy we are implementing to keep everyone safe and accountable,” Vitti said in the district’s notification.
Vitti said at a recent committee meeting board members asked for a proposal to increase security personnel after the Denby incident on Jan. 21.
A video of the incident circulating social media showed a teacher trying to stop the student with a chair, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
“The student has been arrested and will not be returning to Denby or another district school,” Chrystal Wilson, DPSCD spokesperson, said in an email. There were no reported injuries.
Additional police were placed at the school the following day.
When students returned to school after the Gompers attack, there was one additional security guard and a police officer on duty. Before the incident, there were two security guards at the school.
Vitti said in October the district would increase its monitoring of how schools implement security protocols. He did not immediately respond to questions this week about how the district is monitoring schools’ compliance.
Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.
