Metal detector lines frustrate students, parents on first day of school in Broward
FORT LAUDERDALE - New metal detectors at all Broward public high schools caused chaos on the first day of school Monday, with long lines frustrating students and parents.
Broward has the sixth largest school system in the country with over 250,000 students, 31,000 employees and more than 320 schools, centers, technical colleges and charter schools. In the district's 32 high schools, students will pass through metal detectors from now on, as part of new security measures.
Students will be allowed to walk through with their book bags, but the district warns some common items like laptops, binders with metal spines and even umbrellas and sunglasses cases will set off the machine's alarm. If a metal detector goes off, students will go to a second station.
The number of metal detectors at each school varies based on the number of students and the school's size.
On the first day of the new metal detectors, long lines formed. Some students said it took more than 40 minutes to get through the line.
"It's unacceptable how long this line is outside of the school," said Fort Lauderdale High School sophomore Imani Kornegay.
"It's good for safety but it's not very fun waiting," said West Broward High School sophomore Cali Caraway.
"It's a lot. I came on the bus. I walked out over here. It's a big line. It's a big line. It's going to be a while," said West Broward High sophomore Julloid Nelson.
Long lines were also reported at J.P Taravella High School in Coral Springs, McArthur High School in Hollywood, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
"It's definitely going to be a little hectic getting to class in the morning. I'm worried about being late," said junior Samantha Ally.
Parents said despite the long waits, they feel good with the extra layer of protection.
"It's best they do what they have to do to keep the kids safe," said Sean Davis.
"For the safety of everyone I think it's vitally important," said Andrew Craig.
Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn said he expects the lines to get shorter in the coming days and weeks.
"We have some a little small delays with the metal detectors, but as the days go by it will get more efficient," he said.
Hepburn said earlier, at a school bus depot in Southwest Ranches, that delays were expected. He asked students and parent to exercise patience.
In a statement later posted on the social platform X, Hepburn apologized for the long wait times.
"We sincerely thank our students for their patience," Hepburn said. "We are committed to improving this experience and will be making necessary adjustments."
Another big change at schools this year has to do with cell phones. They are off-limits for public school students. Students are banned from using phones, headphones and earbuds from the beginning to the end of the school day. They can bring phones, but they must be in airplane mode or turned off. They will be able to use them during emergencies.
On CBS Miami's Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede, School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff said the phone policy change is not a punishment. She said the goal is to help students overcome bad social isolation habits formed during the COVID-19 shutdowns.
"Our students are so engaged in their cellphones that they are not focusing on what the teachers are teaching," she said. "We want to increase their ability to have relationships with other students, to be able to focus, to prevent cyberbullying, to prevent when fights break out the students are breaking out their cellphones and filming it."
The first day of the new school year for Miami-Dade public school students is Thursday, Aug. 15.
