Overview
- The Willis ISD Board of Trustees voted 5-0 Friday to buy 15 Xtract One screening systems consisting of 11 Gateway units and four SmartGateway units plus tablets, installation, training and maintenance.
- District officials say the Gateway technology scans people and belongings so students can keep backpacks with them and walk through at a normal pace while the system flags potential weapons separately from everyday items.
- Officials discussed moving the units among Willis High, the district’s middle schools and large-event sites such as the football stadium and performing arts center but have not finalized exact locations or a rollout schedule.
- The purchase follows a series of safety incidents that began with a loaded gun found in a student’s backpack on Aug. 26 and another on Sept. 21, as well as threats and comments about a bomb that led to students being taken into custody.
- Willis ISD will continue current measures including bag searches, metal detectors, clear backpacks and armed school resource officers while scheduling demonstrations and staff training and weighing local funding and staffing implications for full use.