Butler Area School District will roll out weapons detectors at Butler Senior High School, Butler Intermediate High School and the elementary schools this year, as part of the ongoing security updates around the district.

Superintendent Brian White said the weapons detectors can identify weapons better than the metal detectors currently used in the schools, and they are “highly portable,” so they can be moved to where they are needed. According to White, the district is expecting to receive four detectors, two of which will be moved to different locations, like the elementary schools and the football stadium, depending on the need.

“When we have events, we can move them,” White said. “We do intend to put them in place where there are larger events, for example games at the stadium where there are large crowds.”

White said the school district is spending roughly $75,000 on the weapons detectors, which includes the cost of delivery and installation, plus the subscription for the software the detectors use. Security guards will be trained on the detectors’ use once they arrive, White added.

In addition to the weapons detectors, the district also is installing bollards on sidewalks at Butler Senior High School, as an extra measure for vehicle safety on campus. White said the bollards are still being installed, but they were paid for as part of the district’s paving contract at the senior high school.

White said the bollards primarily are for pedestrian protection at the senior high school.

“If our students are waiting for the bus, if a car went up on the sidewalk, we don't want our students to get hit,” White said.