ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A new school safety pilot program is coming to seven Orange County Schools, according to Media Relations Administrator Michael Ollendorff. 

What You Need To Know

  • Orange County Public Schools says a new school safety pilot program is coming to seven schools

  • OCPS leaders say the district has always prioritized security efforts in their schools

  • Some students felt the addition is a smart move for safety

“Beginning this month, the district will pilot a schoolwide weapon detection system at seven randomly selected high schools across the district,” Ollendorff said.

One of the schools participating in the test is Lake Nona High School.

On Monday, Dec. 4, Principal Nikki Campbell at Lake Nona High School sent a message to families that reads in part:

“I want to let you know about an important enhancement to school security,” she said.

Later in the call, she said, “Our school has been randomly selected as one of seven high schools to pilot this technology.”

School leaders say the district has always prioritized security efforts in their schools.

Some students felt the addition is a smart move for safety. But others worry about the potential lines that security screenings could cause at the beginning of the school day.

Kevin Kendrick runs the “Parents of Lake Nona High School” Facebook group with 3,300 members, and has heard feedback from parents in the community.

“The purpose of the page is a lot of times to ask questions. Sometimes it’s, ‘How do we buy a football ticket, where do we buy our homecoming tickets,’ and then sometimes, it’s a little bit more in depth, such as the new security system that Lake Nona High School is going to have,” he said.

Some parents flocked to the page once the principal announced of new safety enhancements coming to the school.

Campbell also said Lake Nona High School will begin using the Opengate weapons detection system to screen all students and visitors entering campus during school hours when they return after the winter break.

Kendrick, who has two children that graduated from the school, says security efforts are key.

“I think anything that Orange County Public Schools can do to keep our students safe is a plus,” he said. “At the end of the day, as a parent, we want our kids to come home and that’s the expectation.”

He also says he recognizes some parents may have different opinions.

“This is just another tool to keep our students safe, so I support it 100%,” said Kendrick. “I think it should be in all schools and there are people who may not see the other side of it, maybe it’s a violation, but at the end of the day, we’re sending our kids to a public school and the public school has got be responsible for our tax dollars, responsible for the safety of our kids.”

School officials say that while the pilot program at Lake Nona High School begins after winter break, other schools are on different timetables.

The superintendent is expected to provide an update on the school pilot program at the next school board meeting on Tuesday.