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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Greece Central School District is introducing new safety screening systems in its secondary schools to prioritize student and staff well-being. The system uses advanced walk-through body scanners from MIS Security and bag scanners from Linev to detect weapons, cell phones and vaping devices.
The district is among the first in the region to implement such a comprehensive approach to school safety, addressing multiple issues through one integrated system.
It also supports New York State’s new instructional day cell phone ban by detecting phones and providing an added layer of assurance alongside the use of Yondr pouches, helping reinforce instructional time and reduce distractions.
Students at Arcadia Middle School are required to place their phones in Yondr pouches and pass through a metal detector before heading to class. “If they are prepared and they put everything in their bag, it is a very, very fast process,” said Casey Voelkl, director of school safety and security.
“Greece Central is committed to delivering a safe, supportive and distraction-free environment for every student,” the district said in a press release. “These new tools help us meet that commitment.”
Arcadia Middle School student Maxwell Stevens said, “I mean, it wasn’t that hard. {To adjust to not having his phone} I’ve already, like, felt the effects of Yondr pouch, but, I mean, it was a little hard on some of the more boring classes of the day not to have it and just sit there and, like, what do I do?”
Fellow student Siena Dimora expressed confidence in the school’s emergency procedures, saying, “There are phones in every classroom and I do think the school would be able to contact my parents if there was an emergency.”
While the no-phone initiative has successfully helped refocus classroom time on learning, the district says consistent enforcement of the ban has been challenging.
“Some students have attempted to bypass the system by claiming they didn’t have a phone, or using dummy devices in the pouches, or keeping active phones hidden in backpacks or clothing,” the district said. “The new systems more effectively identify all devices.”
Stevens confirmed he knows students have tried to sneak phones in. “I’ve heard of a lot of people who have tried to sneak them in, and “I feel like that’s going to happen with no matter what system you put in, there’s going to be people and we have to accept that there are going to be people that are just going to have that are going to try to bend the rules and not have their phones go in the pouch and have to use them all day.”
The district’s new safety screening system can also detect dangerous weapons and vapes. “This is just an additional tool in our toolbox of what we need to use to keep kids safe. Safety is number one priority for, for our students. No learning or anything else can really occur unless they feel safe and secure,” officials said.
These devices can be used during daily student arrival and are also portable, providing an added layer of protection at large-scale events held on school grounds.
Students caught with prohibited items could face punishment, starting with a warning and intervention to ensure they understand the rules.
The principal reported a positive culture change since removing cell phones from the classroom.
The new safety screening systems will be introduced in all Greece secondary schools (grades 6–12) through a phased rollout:
- Arcadia: Week of May 19
- Olympia: Week of June 2
- Athena and Odyssey: September 2025
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