The CEIA OPENGATE system, whose two freestanding pillars allow for screening of backpacks and bags, made its debut in Beaufort High School on Wednesday. “All students and visitors” entering the building would be screened using the system, the school said on Facebook.
BHS administrators asked students to remove metal items like tablets from their backpacks before going through the system “to support an efficient entry process.”
District officials planned to have the systems installed by the end of the week at all public high schools: Battery Creek High School, Beaufort High School, Bluffton High School, Hilton Head Island High School, May River High School and Whale Branch Early College High School.
The devices would be used full-time during the school day and at extracurricular events like sports games, according to district spokesperson Candace Bruder.
School board members unanimously approved the purchase of the systems at an Oct. 21 meeting. The cost of the devices is $600,000 — to be taken from remaining funds of the district’s $345 million 2019 referendum — along with $425,000 in operational costs for the 2025-26 academic year, according to Secretary Ingrid Boatright.
Manning the devices at each high school will be an armed security guard hired from an outside firm. The cost of the guards will make up the bulk of the district’s yearly operational costs, Bruder said.
District officials said the decision was a “proactive step” toward enhanced school safety and was not a response to any specific incident, according to reporting from WSAV 3.
OPENGATE weapons detectors are designed to detect “a wide range of metallic threats,” from knives and micro-pistols to high-caliber assault weapons, according to CEIA USA’s website.
“The devices focus on detecting weapons of mass casualty, including firearms, while allowing common personal items such as phones and keys to pass through without delay,” Hilton Head Island High School Principal Steve Schidrich wrote in an email to parents and staff in late November, noting the new system’s implementation on the campus would begin Thursday.
Any firearms and knives with blades over 2 inches are prohibited at Beaufort County public schools. The district’s high schools see the most violations, which often lead to criminal charges for possessing a weapon or firearm on school property.
Prior to the introduction of weapons detectors, illicit items were most often found after students reported suspicious activity to administrators. Weapons have also been discovered while officials conducted routine checks of students’ bags during unrelated incidents.
© 2025 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
