CMS to begin testing new security measures at 'randomly' selected high school

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sources tell Channel 9 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is close to implementing the district's major security upgrades.

The superintendent told education Reporter Elsa Gillis new measures would start at the end of January.

CMS will be testing out three options.

Officials said they will start by randomly choosing a high school and screening all students from the entire school as they walk in in the morning.

They will be screening them with metal detector wands and by doing bag checks.

Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox said they will be pulling the name of the school out of a jar. He said he wants to ensure this is random and no school or student is targeted.

"We're not going to target individual kids based on their race, based on what they wear. This is about a whole school," Wilcox said.

They will also be trying two other options in the days ahead.

One involves choosing a building on the school's campus, and screening those students, but not the entire school.

The third options would screen students by classroom and use a gunpowder sniffing dog to search bags.

Dr. Wilcox said they will see what works and what does not to ensure student security and comfort.

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