MCPS students have initiated the call for metal detectors, raising the possibility of installing them in all MCPS schools due to many recent school safety concerns nationwide.

Installing metal detectors in all 205 MCPS schools could cost anywhere from $1,000 to $30,000 per school, according to the National Institute of Justice.  It would also require the hiring of more staff, including security guards and trained staff members who understand the technology and can help properly implement it in each school.

Despite the costs, the students who initiated the idea have already received a wide platform to share their ideas on the issue.

“This has already gotten so much press coverage around the state; it’s our right to a safe education,” Walt Whitman High School freshman Katherine Dwyer said.

Dwyer has spoken at board of education (BOE) meetings to start a conversation about possible installation of metal detectors throughout MCPS. The BOE has agreed to examine the issue, but expresses concerns about the costs.