Wichita Public Schools is looking at new technologies in order  screen for weapons being brought into school facilities.

This after three instances involving teens bringing firearms into the East, West, and Heights high schools. All occurred within the first and second weeks of school. Another incident at Southeast High School involved a crowd of unruly students being pepper sprayed. Firecrackers were also ignited at West High School during a fight, and a North High School fight forced the cancellation of the school’s first pep rally.

On Monday, April 12th, district officials proposed purchasing between 45 and 50 OpenGate devices, which carries a $1.5 million price tag. OpenGate devices are a contactless weapon detection system that uses A.I. and advanced sensors to detect “Mass Casualty Metal Threats,” such as assault style weapons and IED devices.

Wichita Public Schools Director of Safety Services Terri Moses said that the proposal on Monday was not directly in response to the recent aforementioned incidents, but is something the district has been considering for some time.

If approved, the district said it could take eight to ten weeks to obtain the OpenGate devices. In the interim, school officials are encouraging a “See Something, Say Something” approach amongst students and staff.