PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — During its latest meeting, the Calvert County Board of Education discussed the use of vape detectors in school restrooms, reviewing their effectiveness and the potential for expanding their installation in high schools.
On Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, Chief Operations Officer Dr. Susan B. Johnson clarified that vape detectors were initially funded through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and are not included in the current budget.
“All middle school restrooms have vape detectors, and high schools were each provided with one sensor in a high-traffic restroom,” Johnson said. “These devices do more than detect vaping—they also identify disruptive behaviors, such as loud noises or inappropriate language.”
Board member Lisa M. Grenis asked if there were funds to expand the detectors into all high school restrooms.
“No,” Johnson responded.
When asked about the cost of a potential expansion, Johnson estimated that installing detectors in all middle school restrooms and one in each high school restroom cost $300,000.
Student board member Grace Minakowski inquired whether there had been a report on the effectiveness of the detectors.
“There was just information from the pilot program,” Johnson said. “We are currently in the process of monitoring the new installations through December and January. Some detectors are being adjusted due to external factors—at Northern Middle, for example, tree removal work mistakenly triggered alerts.”
Board members requested an official estimate for the cost of expanding the detectors to all high school restrooms.
Despite reports that some students had not seen the detectors working, Johnson assured the board that no thefts had been reported and that alerts were sent directly to administrators, not through loud alarms.
The board will continue monitoring the detectors’ effectiveness and assess future budget adjustments for potential expansion into all high school restrooms.
See the full board meeting here.
See the request to purchase Halo vape detectors (Sept. 2024) here.
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