Clarksville-Montgomery County high schools are quietly swapping out one high-tech security system for another, as the district replaces its Evolv weapons-detection pilot with OPENGATE open-frame scanners.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) has already installed OPENGATE units at Northeast High on Feb. 24 and at Rossview High on March 3, with more campuses slated to get the devices in the coming months. District officials say the scanners are being paid for with Tennessee Safe Schools Act grant funds.
CMCSS piloted Evolv technology in 2023 at Northwest High and also used the system at events across several campuses, according to NewsChannel 5. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will keep leasing Evolv at Northwest while the rest of the district transitions to the new setup. District leaders told local outlets they landed on OPENGATE after reviewing different options and liked that the units can be purchased outright as a one-time expense, which they put at roughly $15,000 to $20,000 per device, instead of Evolv’s multi-year lease model that can climb into six figures, according to WSMV.
How OpenGate works and how CMCSS plans to use it
OPENGATE relies on a magnetic and ferromagnetic field detection system that flags large metal objects as people walk through an open-frame unit. The design is intended to move crowds faster and cut down on nuisance alarms, according to manufacturer CEIA.
CMCSS says students who enter through activity entrances will pass through the scanners. In many cases, backpacks can stay on, but items like laptops, metal glasses cases, and umbrellas should be pulled out and handed to staff before walking through. Late arrivals will be screened at front offices, Clarksville Now reported.
One layer in a larger security strategy
District officials are quick to say the scanners are only one part of a broader safety plan that also includes security sweeps, partnerships with law enforcement, and the ability to search student belongings or vehicles when needed, according to a CMCSS statement reported by NewsChannel 5.
Experts have cautioned that no single tool can guarantee safety. WSMV4 Investigates and other outlets have documented cases where weapons-detection systems failed to catch firearms, including a deadly shooting at a Nashville school where the detector did not alert before the attack. In that case, local officials said the shooter’s position and the location of the weapon meant the system did not detect it, according to WSMV.
What families can expect next
As more high schools come online with OPENGATE, CMCSS says each campus will notify families directly with site-specific details. The district has also added OPENGATE information to its School Safety Hub and to event guidance, including a note that all graduations will use the scanners at the Austin Peay Dunn Center, according to CMCSS.
The Tennessee Department of Education’s Safe Schools Act program is providing the grant funding that districts like CMCSS are using for these systems statewide, according to the department’s program materials. CMCSS says it will consider expanding the technology to additional grade levels if future funding makes that possible.
