Starting Friday, Oct. 25, RHS and Husky Academy adopted the new OPENGATE weapons detection system for all students and staff entering the building during school hours.
This new system will also be used for athletic and other events scheduled at Moore Field and in the high school building and auditorium. RHS administrators and security staff will be present as people go through the OPENGATE system to ensure everything goes smoothly.
The new system works by detecting unauthorized items in backpacks and on personnel. By taking out Chromebooks, laptops, and binders, students can walk through the new system without setting it off.
The school district put out a statement about the importance of the new system.
“The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. To enhance the safety and security at Ritenour High School and Husky Academy, we will use the OPENGATE weapons detection system. OPENGATE is designed for the automatic screening of people with backpacks and bags for threat detection. It will also identify other contraband items that are not allowed on school property.”
Some initial feedback from students was that the step was too drastic, and it changed the feeling of the school. It also negates the clear backpack policy that has been in place.
“I don’t like it, and it doesn’t make me feel safer. It almost feels like prison,” senior Kriss Davis said. “The lines are always long, and it doesn’t make sense to have clear bookbags and the detectors at the same time.”
The goal is for students, staff, and parents to feel safer within the building in the most effective way possible.

“The only thing that students need to know is that their responsibility is to come to school and get an education, anything else that does not include getting a safe education is to be left behind,” said Officer Robert Howard, a Ritenour School District security personnel member and one of many overseeing the security system every morning.
In the past, Ritenour used security and staff to check students. By checking backpacks and then using wands to check students for metal, the process was slower overall, due to having to unzip, check, and stop students.
“Honestly, I don’t know how to feel. I guess it’s an improvement, but I don’t necessarily feel safer,” senior Rihanna Jones said.
While the students may not understand the differences between the wands and the metal detectors, Howard said that this system is much better.
“OPENGATE happens to be a more advanced technology, it’s able to pick out the weapons we are looking for if there are any weapons,” Officer Howard said.
The new system’s purpose is to keep everyone safe, even if it means a big change in appearance.
“I’m glad that safety measures grow along with the future. Every day new things come out and I’d rather us be prepared than unprepared,” Officer Howard said.