HPISD Debuts New Security System
Highland Park High School students passed through the district’s new weapons-detection system the morning of Thursday, Jan. 11.
The school district has purchased six CEIA OPENGATE systems and had one in use at the high school on Thursday for training purposes, HPISD Police Chief Mark Rowden explained.
OPENGATE consists of two freestanding, portable pillars that the district can transport as needed. Students were able to pass through the system with backpacks, but were asked to remove their laptops.
“This is a preventative measure,” Rowden said. “It’s one more step that we can take in order to make sure that our schools are safe and our kids can feel safe and concentrate on learning.”
Rowden said the district will work on a process for deployment of the system now that officers and administrators have been trained in its use. High school parents were notified by the district prior to the system’s debut.
