Pinellas Schools End Weapons Detection Pilot

0:00Pinellas County Schools kicked off a weapons detection pilot program earlier this month at two high schools, Palm Harbor University High, and Gibbs. High. It was set to run until the end of the school year, but the in-school part wraps up after just 10 days with the final day on Friday, April 17th. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick announced the early end during this week's school board meeting. He said they've gathered key lessons on logistics and planning, and they want to avoid any disruptions as high schools gear up for international, testing and state exams right after. Students and parents had mixed feelings about the tech, which was meant to be quick and non-invasive. Many complained about long lines and entrances, and too many false alarms slowing everyone down. One parent worried it even created extra safety risks during the rush. That same parent gets the big picture though, stressing that keeping guns off campus has to be priority number one in these times. We called it a solid idea overall, just launched at the wrong moment with testing on the horizon.

1:02The district plans to test the system at some events moving forward, with notices sent out ahead of time. They'll share a full update on next steps and takeaways at the May Workshop, showing they're committed to getting school safety right. From your city, powered by AI, this is Tampa Bay News today. I'm Corey with the story.