ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A bill moving quickly under the Gold Dome could change daily life for every public school student in Georgia.

If passed, students might start each day walking through a weapons detector, similar to those used at Atlanta Falcons games or airports.

Supporters call it common-sense security. Critics say it’s costly and still offers no guarantee a weapon won’t get through.

At Midtown High School in Atlanta, students already walk through Evolv weapons detection machines while staff monitor for alerts. If a machine flags an item, security conducts a targeted check.

Atlanta Public Schools Police Chief Ron Applin said the system has made a noticeable difference. Before Evolv was installed, the district recovered 32 guns in one year. Now that number has dropped to about seven. Still, Applin said students sometimes try to test the system.

“This is a deterrent, and it’s also helped us find guns. So it’s worked both ways for us,” Applin said. “Like anything, people are going to test the system. So we have to be ahead of that.”

Nationwide, weapons still occasionally make it past detectors. The National Association of School Resource Officers has tracked 51 incidents since fall 2022 in schools using detection systems.

Lawmakers are now debating whether every public school in Georgia should be required to install them.

House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation allows flexibility for local school systems.

Efstration said schools could use state safety grants, which total about $48,000 per school, to help cover the cost. Critics argue the actual cost could be much higher, and the logistics of installing the systems could be overwhelming.

Gretchen Walton of Cobb County Schools gave a concrete example.

“We have another campus that has 22 buildings. It has 49 entrances,” she said.

Democrats warn the proposal creates a false sense of security.

State Rep. David Wilkerson called it a “vendor bill,” accusing lawmakers of setting up contracts for private companies.

Efstration denied the accusation.

“That is absolutely false. There is absolutely no vendor that brought this idea to me,” he said.

For parents in the audience, the debate is personal.

Gwinnett parent Natasha said every day she sends her sons to school, she prays for their safety.

“Every single day that I send my kids out, I’m praying ‘Lord, please let these kids come home today,” she said.

The bill has cleared a key House committee. It now must pass the Rules Committee before reaching the full House and then move to the Senate.

Lawmakers say cost, staffing, and whether detectors can prevent the next tragedy remain key questions.

Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.