Parents who are getting their kids ready for Monday’s opening day at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools need to remember to leave some items home because they can trigger the district’s walk-through metal detectors.
CMS started installing walk-through scanners in 2022 after a surge of guns turned up in schools. The scanners are now in all middle, high and K-8 schools, and the number of guns coming in has dropped dramatically.
But Superintendent Crystal Hill says harmless items like three-ring binders, rolling book bags and backpacks with metal frames also trigger the alarm. CMS is banning those items this year.
“Sometimes with our scanners we were getting false positives...it was slowing down the process,” Hill said.
Hill says families were notified at the end of last school year so they could shop accordingly.
Union County Schools, which also start classes Monday, will roll out walk-through scanners at athletic events, starting with varsity football.
