On Thursday, May 15, students walking into AHS were met with something new: weapon detectors. It was the first time Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) brought its new “weapons detection system” to Annandale, part of a one-day pilot to familiarize schools with the technology and get staff prepared for what might be coming permanently.
Before the day started, parents and staff got an email announcing the arrival of these new devices.
“[FCPS] gave [the school] an email that we sent out that morning, and then another email that you sent out that afternoon,” Principal Shawn DeRose said.
Students came through weapon detector towers, laptops and binders pulled aside, while staff tried to keep things running smoothly.
“I wanted to get familiar with the system, and once I got that familiarity, I didn’t want there to be a
huge backup which caused kids to go to class or their SOL or IB test late,” DeRose said.
According to DeRose, the goal isn’t to disrupt learning—it’s safety.
“There’s no circumstance where it’s permissible for a kid to bring a weapon, a knife, anything like that to school,” he said. “So, you know, what we would hope is if kids really are feeling unsafe, that they’d let the school know and that we can work with them, their families, school security and Fairfax County Police.”
The detectors called “towers” or “units”—are already permanent at other FCPS schools, like West Potomac and Edison, where students go through them daily. Some members of Annandale’s security team even visited Edison to observe how the system works.
“They got a little bit of familiarity around it,” DeRose explained.
And while the towers are funded and provided by the county, DeRose said future implementation would depend on how many units schools receive and how they’re staffed.
“I think it’s probably gonna be a combination of both the main entrance and other doors, and we have to educate our students about not letting people in through the side doors.”
Student reactions were mixed.
“It felt weird. Like, it made school feel like an airport or something. One day is whatever, but if we do this every day, I think it’s going to get annoying real fast,” sophomore Alyssa Pardo said.
When the detectors return full-time at Annandale is still uncertain. But one thing is clear—the conversation about school safety is just getting started.
