Volusia County middle, high schools to commence random searches this year

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Random searches will be possible at all Volusia County middle and high schools beginning this year. The school board passed the policy on Tuesday night.

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The change comes after more than 80 incidents of weapons on campuses were reported last year.

District Spokesperson Danielle Johnson explains moving metal detectors will be brought to middle and high school campuses beginning this academic year. Students will then be picked at random through a computer program and they’ll only be searched if the detector goes off when they pass through.

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“It’s not targeted and it kind of creates it could be your class today, don’t try and bring anything you shouldn’t,” said Johnson.

The district first tried to put this in place in 2022 but backed down after pressure from parents. Eyewitness News told you about more recent concerns from families in the spring, who wondered if it was constitutional or if implicit bias would play a role in who would be searched. However, those concerns have since seemed to go away.

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“We need to be cautious of what’s going on in the world and it’s not bad because what if somebody did bring in something,” said parent Joanna Perdue.

At the end of last school year, the district told us its recent move to add deputies in middle schools has already resulted in a 52 percent decrease in weapons showing up on those campuses.

Johnson hopes the detectors make an even bigger difference.

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