CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is rolling out a new weapons detection technology at its high schools as part of its broader school safety strategy.
CMCSS said it will begin implementing OPENGATE weapons detection systems, funded through the Tennessee Safe Schools Act grant program. The technology uses a magnetic field detection system to scan for large metal objects, such as firearms, as people walk through an open-frame device.
District leaders said the move comes after a pilot program using Evolv detection technology that began in 2023 at Northwest High School and during events across several campuses.
Officials said OPENGATE was selected after reviewing several options and is considered more cost-efficient. The devices cost roughly $15,000 to $20,000 each as a one-time purchase, compared with Evolv’s multi-year lease model that can cost six figures.
OPENGATE systems have already been installed at Northeast High School on Feb. 24 and Rossview High School on March 3. The district plans to continue installing the technology at other high schools in the coming months.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will continue leasing the Evolv system at Northwest High School through the next school year. Once that lease ends, the district said OPENGATE will replace it there as well.
School officials said the detection systems are just one part of a layered security approach that also includes security sweeps, law enforcement partnerships, and the ability to search belongings or vehicles on school property.
According to a district survey conducted in November 2025, 94.7% of parents said their child feels safe at school, an increase of nearly 10 percentage points from the 2022–23 school year.
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