Random Metal Detector Searches at Secondary Campuses – Parent & Student Information

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The Plano Independent School District (PISD) is committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment so that education remains the primary focus for students and staff. As the district continues to evaluate and enhance school safety features districtwide, the Plano ISD Board of Trustees recently approved policy revisions permitting random, suspicion-less metal detector searches at secondary (grades 6-12) campuses. You can review the full policy online at:

The purpose of this policy is to prevent and deter students from bringing weapons to school. School officials are authorized to conduct metal detector screenings of students and searches of their personal effects. Random metal detector searches may occur at any time and students must comply with instructions and directives from school officials during this process. A student who refuses to comply with the search process will be removed from campus and subject to disciplinary consequences pursuant to the Student Code of Conduct. The district will use both walk-through and hand-held metal detectors (wands).

The policy provides that district officials will:

Minimize inconvenience to student and interference with the educational process;

Maximize detection and deterrent value by regularly searching significant numbers of students;

Ensure that patterns are not established that would allow students to avoid searches by predicting the time and location of a search; and

Avoid instances in which any particular student or group of students is either being favored or targeted by adopting processes in advance of the search that leave the operator of the metal detector(s) a minimum of discretion.

Random metal detector searches will ordinarily be carried out in the following manner: