OXNARD : Metal Detector Use to Begin at Schools

The Oxnard Union High School District will begin using hand-held metal detectors next week to randomly search students for weapons, officials said.

Searches will be conducted for the first time Tuesday or Wednesday at each of the district’s six high schools, said Supt. William Studt. Before beginning, he said, he wants to be sure that all parents have received letters from his office informing them how the searches will be conducted.

The Oxnard high school district will be the first in Ventura County to use the scanning devices, which Studt said are needed to improve security on campuses.

Studt said school administrators trained by police have been conducting demonstrations for students for the past two weeks to familiarize them with how the metal detectors work. The superintendent gave a demonstration for school board members Wednesday.

Studt also explained to the board exactly how student searches will be conducted.

Every morning, he said, principals at each school will draw slips of paper from two separate boxes containing the names of all teachers and class periods at the school. The searches will be conducted based on the drawings. This is intended to avoid any claims of discrimination, Studt said.

Principals and other school administrators will be responsible for searching students and their belongings.

Studt decided in February to use the metal detectors because of the increasing number of students bringing weapons to school. In the last 18 months, 24 students have been expelled for carrying knives, five for possession of handguns and one for possession of brass knuckles.