Officials with the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) are weighing the pros and cons of purchasing special detectors that measure air quality in restrooms to combat underage vaping. Principal, Tammie McKenzie, says this has been a common problem in schools throughout the nation for the last several years and shares how a similarly sized high school in Polk County has responded.
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McKenzie adds Carlisle’s school resource officer (SRO) spends a significant amount of time answering these alerts, and her staff simply does not have enough time during the day to provide the same coverage while also teaching in addition to any other responsibilities. According to Superintendent, Dr. Casey Berlau, the vape detector units are expensive at $1,209 each plus a $440 mounting bracket. The total cost, which would cover 11 restrooms, came in at $19,723. McKenzie says the detectors would help cut back on vaping during the school day, but they would not eliminate the problem on their own.
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She adds it would be difficult for the school to make the most of the detectors without at least two people dedicated to respond to alerts or to have an assigned school resource officer. Berlau considers vape detectors as just a piece of a multi-pronged response.
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Board Member, Jen Munson, says they should do everything they can to combat vaping during the school day, as it creates uncomfortable situations for many students.
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The board did not take any formal action on the vape detector bid and directed administration to continue exploring potential avenue to decrease the frequency of use by students, in and out of school. Berlau indicated they will bring additional materials back to the board at future meetings.