- December 4, 2025
Mainland High School is the latest Volusia County school to be equipped with new metal detectors. The new screening process went into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The metal detectors have been implemented in a total of four high school campuses so far, including Atlantic, Pine Ridge and Taylor. Plans are in the works to equip the district's six remaining high school campuses, with Seabreeze being next.
The metal detectors utilize artificial intelligence to recognize contents within students' backpacks, said Capt. Todd Smith, VCS director of safety and security.
"It really makes it where the kids can wear their backpacks, bring in their Stanley cups, bring in all of the devices that they normally use throughout the day to get them through the educational experience, and then from there, they just walk right through," Smith said. "... So we're able to get the thousands of kids into the campus within the timeframe allotted so that we don't disrupt instructional time."
VCS piloted two systems with different companies for about nine weeks last school year to see which one was more effective and efficient, said Mike Micallef, VCS executive director of graduation assurance and student services. In the end, the district chose the Xtract One system, and the implementation of the metal detectors has made Volusia the first school district in the state with plans to implement this in all of its high schools.
"Everybody has their eyes on Volusia County right now to see if it's possible and if the devices can do what they're supposed to do," Micallef said. "So far, everything is matching up. It's going really well."
Last year, the Volusia County School Board added a new randomized screenings policy where a district team used a random generator to select a school, and then a specific classroom, to be screened with a portable metal detector.
But the addition of these AI-assisted metal detectors at every high school means every student is screened, not just a select portion.
"I think this is something that's needed with what goes on in today's society, and it's our job to keep these kids safe and put them in a good mind frame to where their learning can take place and they can focus all their time and attention on learning." Micallef said. "This is just another layer of security and support that we are adding."
VCS hopes to add metal detectors to middle schools next year, provided it can generate enough funding; each metal detector costs about $110,000 and every high school is receiving at least two.
The metal detectors aren't the only way VCS is using AI to increase campus safety. Cameras have been embedded with ZeroEyes, a firearms detection software which notifies Smith, local law enforcement and the school in real-time if a firearm is brought on campus.
So far this school year, there have not been any firearms recovered, Smith said. There weren't any last year, either. That shows, he added, that the safety improvements are working.
The new metal detectors are just the latest measures.
"There's questions throughout the country on whether or not it can be done, and we're showing that it can be done," Smith said. "We are getting the kids in. They're not losing their instruction time, and we're making our campuses safer."
