7 Best School Security Systems of 2027 [+Expert Insights]

In October 2026, a gunman forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School, fatally shooting three children and a teacher. The shooter entered by firing at locked doors, despite security measures like entry vestibules, classroom door locks, and photo ID checks.

This tragedy highlights why schools need effective security systems that can actually detect threats like firearms, knives, blades, explosives, etc. Most importantly, they must integrate well within your existing security layers to close all gaps. Otherwise, even the strongest security practices can put your students and staff at risk.

To help you choose the best school security systems for your campus, we’ve compared the top solutions below. We’ll also walk you through how to evaluate vendors and procure from one that fits all your security needs.

A Quick Comparison of the Best School Security Systems

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of the best school security systems before we dive into each one in detail:

What Are the Best School Security Systems in 2027

Below are the seven best school security systems in 2027. While most of them focus on weapons detection and real-time surveillance, each system differs in threat-detection depth, functionality, pricing, and reviews.

1. Athena Security’s Weapons Screening System: Suitable for Layered, Multi-Threat Entryway Screening (Guns, Knives, Vapes, Drones)
2. ZeroEyes’ Visual Firearm Detection: Suitable for 24/7 Alert Verification by Trained Analysts
3. Xtract One Gateway: Suitable for Bi-Directional Personnel Screening
4. Garrett Paragon® Walk-through Metal Detector: Suitable for Outdoor Weapons Screening
5. Omnilert Gun Detect: Suitable for Automating Emergency Responses During Active Shooter Threats
6. VOLT AI: Suitable for Multi-Threat Surveillance With Student Privacy
7. Evolv Express®: Suitable for Dual-Lane Weapons Screening

Let’s discuss each.

1. Athena Security’s Weapons Screening System: Suitable for Layered, Multi-Threat Entryway Screening (Guns, Knives, Vapes, Drones)

We offer a layered weapons screening system for schools that separates person screening from bag screening without sacrificing throughput. Our security system includes the Apollo 500 Concealed Weapons Detection System (WDS) and the AI X-Ray Baggage Scanner. The weapons detection system screens students, staff, and other people for weapons, while the X-ray scanner screens bags, improving overall weapon-screening efficiency. 

The concealed WDS uses intelligent AI filtering to flag evolving threat items like mass-casualty firearms, small blades and knives, explosives, chemicals, vapes, and even drone parts. At the same time, our AI X-Ray Baggage Scanner employs dual-energy sensors to measure the material density and atomic composition of items inside a bag. This helps quickly identify threats hidden deep inside multi-compartment bags or cluttered personal belongings.

Together, this dual setup streamlines your school’s screening workflow for high throughput. Students/visitors can place backpacks into our X-ray baggage scanner and walk through our WDS portal simultaneously.

Here’s a short video demonstrating the same:

Key Features and Benefits

• Identifies 80+ threat types, including firearms, explosives, narcotics, 3D-printed weapons, drone components, etc.
• Detects small edged weapons (2-2.5” blades) and non-ferrous metals that walk-through metal detectors routinely miss.
• Patented AI Evasion Detection instantly alerts security if anyone attempts to walk around or bypass the screening checkpoint.
• Threat localization shows exactly where a threat is hidden on the individual’s body using a “red box.”
• Automatically stops the conveyor belt the moment it flags a threat inside a bag.
• Built-in bag-to-person identification captures three images during a screening: the bag’s X-ray scan, the bag’s exterior, and the person who placed the bag on the conveyor belt.

Advantages

• Can be configured to ignore everyday items like phones, keys, belts, and medical implants.
• Screens up to 3,600 people per hour on WDS and 2,000 bags per hour on the X-ray belt.
• Third-party lab-tested and certified safe for children, individuals with surgical implants, and pregnant women.

Additional Considerations

• Can be slightly more expensive than legacy metal detectors. However, the rent-to-own model grants you full ownership of the hardware after 4-5 years.
• Schools should allocate a dedicated area away from the main entry line for secondary screening.
• WDS portals should be installed at least two feet away from the X-ray baggage scanner to prevent false alarms caused by electromagnetic interference.
• Schools must also install the WDS away from electrical and mechanical interference (e.g., in-wall wiring, automatic sliding doors, elevators, etc.).

Case Study Highlight

Lamar Consolidated ISD (LCISD) has deployed 24 Athena Security screening systems district-wide to inspect students and backpacks for concealed weapons. The system also sends visual and audio alerts even when someone tries to evade/bypass screening. This allows security officers to quickly identify suspicious activity at school entrances.

Athena Security’s Weapons Screening System Quick Overview

2. ZeroEyes’ Visual Firearm Detection: Suitable for 24/7 Alert Verification by Trained Analysts

ZeroEyes’ Visual Firearm Detection is an AI-powered gun-detection platform that integrates with a school’s existing camera infrastructure to identify visible weapons. The software analyzes live surveillance footage to detect brandished mass-casualty firearms like pistols and AR-style rifles. Trained analysts always review flagged alerts before dispatching them to first responders and staff.

Key Features and Benefits

• U.S. military and law enforcement veterans verify threats 24/7/365 to eliminate false alarms.
• Combines threat intelligence with spatial campus models to pinpoint a suspect’s precise location.
• Dispatches verified alerts, situational photos, and threat descriptions to local emergency services and staff within 3-5 seconds.

Advantages

• Focuses solely on weapons and non-biometric visual characteristics.
• Integrates into existing 720p+ ONVIF-compliant IP cameras.
• Filters out environmental shadows or non-threatening objects through its mandatory human verification layer.

Additional Considerations

• The AI cannot detect concealed or holstered weapons.
• Cameras with less than 720p resolution might require hardware updates.

ZeroEyes’ Visual Firearm Detection Quick Overview

For more, visit: zeroeyes.com/visual-firearm-detection 

3. Xtract One Gateway: Suitable for Bi-Directional Personnel Screening

Xtract One Gateway is an AI-powered concealed weapons detection system designed specifically for environments where individuals carry a “medium volume of personal belongings.” According to Xtract, the system also replaces heavy X-ray machines, eliminating the need for separate bag lines and searches.

Key Features and Benefits

• Uses patented technology to evaluate object shape, size, and material.
• Screens students for weapons without alerting on laptops, tablets, 3-ring binders, etc.
• Allows you to change detection capabilities based on whether a student is entering or exiting the building.

Advantages

• Screens up to 3,000 students per hour per lane.
• Students don’t need to hold their laptops overhead while walking through the detector.

Additional Considerations

• Performance and accuracy can decrease when personal belongings are high in volume.
• The system doesn’t display bag contents on a screen. It only indicates the type of threat object detected and approximate location on the student.

Xtract One Gateway Quick Overview

For more info, visit: xtractone.com/products/xtract-one-gateway 

4. Garret Paragon® Walk-Through Metal Detector: Suitable for Outdoor Weapons Screening

The Garret Paragon® Walk-Through Metal Detector is another high-security weapons detection system that screens students without slowing them down. It offers 66 detection zones and 200 sensitivity levels to instantly pinpoint threats on students and separate mass-casualty weapons from everyday items.

Key Features and Benefits

• High-visibility pacing lights let students see entry locations from a distance.
• Quick-Q® helps distinguish cell phones from mass-casualty weapons.
• Ambiscan™ Technology allows security admins to configure two different sensitivity settings based on the direction of foot traffic.

Advantages

• High weather and dust resistance.
• Houses an internally mounted UPS for emergency power backup.

Additional Considerations

• Requires pairing with handheld metal detectors for secondary screening.
• The built-in UPS backup lasts only 1 hour if AC mains power disconnects.

Garret Paragon® Walk-Through Metal Detector Quick Overview

For more info, visit: garrett.com/paragon-walk-through-metal-detector

5. Omnilert Gun Detect: Suitable for Automating Emergency Responses During Active Shooter Threats

Omnilert Gun Detect is a visual AI weapon-detection and emergency-response platform that detects firearms instantly. The AI continuously scans live captured imagess to detect visible handguns and long guns. When a threat is flagged, it automatically initiates emergency protocols like locking doors, sounding alarms, dispatching alerts, etc.

Key Features and Benefits

• Detects guns in live captured imagess and analyzes video frames to determine if a gun is brandished.
• Validates threats within seconds via Omnilert’s monitoring centers.
• Identifies over 10 potential surveillance issues like obstructions, focus shifts, or lighting changes.

Advantages

• Works both indoors and outdoors.
• AI is continuously trained and improved to detect new threat patterns.

Additional Considerations

• Only detects common firearms like handguns and long guns.
• Requires a firearm to be visibly drawn and within camera view for detection.

Omnilert Gun Detect Quick Overview

For more info, visit: omnilert.com/solutions/gun-detection-system

6. VOLT AI: Suitable for Multi-Threat Surveillance with Student Privacy

VOLT AI is a real-time physical security intelligence platform that analyzes surveillance cameras to detect a wide range of threats. The system uses computer vision and behavioral analysis to identify weapons, fights, medical emergencies, and unauthorized access across your entire school campus. A VOLT reviewer first verifies every threat before dispatching alerts to the school.

Key Features and Benefits

• Displays activity on an interactive 3d map and tracks subjects across multiple captured imagess.
• Relies exclusively on behavioral analysis and position tracking instead of facial recognition.
• Detects multiple threat types, not just weapons.

Advantages

• Connects with existing IP cameras and video management systems.
• Complies with privacy standards like SOC 2 Type 2 by omitting facial recognition.
• Direct 911 integration capability speeds up emergency service response.

Additional Considerations

• Does not provide person-of-interest scanning capabilities due to the omission of facial recognition.
• Cannot detect concealed threats (e.g., a knife hidden on a person or a gun inside a backpack).

VOLT AI Quick Overview

For more info, visit: volt.ai

7. Evolv Express®: Suitable for Dual-Lane Weapons Screening

Evolv Express® is an AI-powered walkthrough weapons detection system that uses advanced sensor technology and AI to screen a large number of students quickly at a normal walking pace. It can detect common firearms, metallic weapons, and explosives while distinguishing them from everyday items like phones and keys. Evolv Express® is built with integrated wheels and handles for easy mobility.

Key Features and Benefits

• Uses extremely low frequency (ELF) radio waves along with ML algorithms to detect electromagnetic signatures of weapons instead of just raw metal mass.
• Provides a clear “red box” visual on the tablet, showing security personnel the exact threat location.
• Comes in single- and dual-lane configurations.

Advantages

• Can screen up to 2,000 people per hour per lane.
• Provides on-site training during deployment, along with additional online courses.

Additional Considerations

• The company has faced scrutiny from bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its marketing practices.
• The system might not consistently detect all guns and multiple knives.
• Buyers should verify the evidence behind the vendor’s testing claims.

Evolv Express® Quick Overview

For more info, visit: evolv.com/concealed-weapons-detection/express

How to Choose the Best School Security System for Your Campus (A Quick Checklist)

Choosing the right school security system can be difficult when you’re not sure which vendor to procure from. Here’s a quick 10-point checklist to help you out:

1. Confirm that the vendor serves K-12 schools and understands the challenges of screening younger students and managing crowded arrival windows.
2. Identify the threats your school must detect (e.g., firearms, small knives, non-ferrous metals, vapes, etc.) and check whether the security solution detects them.
3. Compare personnel and baggage screening capacities (if you’re going for an entryway screening system). The higher the throughput rate, the faster you can screen students.
4. Ensure the system complies with regulations like FERPA and protects sensitive student data.
5. Choose security solutions that can integrate easily with your existing screening processes, mass notification platforms, etc.
6. Confirm how long installation takes, who will handle ongoing maintenance, and if you can easily scale up the setup.
7. Ask vendors to demonstrate what happens during internet or power outages. 
8. Look for intuitive, touch-based security solutions that reduce operator training to minutes.
9. Choose a vendor that provides on-site setup, 24/7 technical support, and continuous AI software updates for strong detection capabilities.
10. Review testimonials from K-12 schools with similar student populations to confirm how the system performs under morning-arrival pressure.

Read More: Buying Weapons Detection System for Schools? Read This First

How Does Athena Security Help Schools Build an Effective Security Strategy

While school security systems are crucial, they alone can’t safeguard your campus. True safety comes from combining technology, trained personnel, and operational workflows.

At Athena Security, we help your school build a complete entryway security strategy that goes beyond hardware. We conduct site assessments to better understand your needs (peak arrival volume, entry layouts) and guide you during screening rollout planning. After implementation, we provide role-based training to help your security team operate our system and follow the best school security measures.

Leading K-12 schools like Del Valle High School, Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, and Hosanna Christian Academy trust us to safeguard their campuses and students.

We also ranked first in Del Valle Independent School District’s evaluation of student safety screening systems. Here’s a snippet from their Board of Trust Meeting notes:

“Athena was selected from a list of qualified companies following a comprehensive review and ranking process. Based on criteria such as system performance, ease of deployment, maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, this vendor ranked at the top of the list. This initial purchase will allow the District to test and assess real-time application in a school setting before making recommendations for expanded deployment in the future.”

To learn more about our unified entryway security solutions, book a demo below or call +1-866-592-3899. We’ll walk you through our solutions and help you find one that matches your security needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best School Security Systems

As you compare and shortlist the best school security systems for your campus, you might have a few questions. Below, we answer the most common questions about the different types of school security systems, their cost, and procurement from Athena Security.

1. What Are the Different Types of School Security Systems?

Schools can deploy several types of security systems, depending on their immediate threat or security gaps:

• Weapons Detection Systems and Baggage Scanners: Screen people and their personal belongings for hidden weapons and prohibited items at school entrances.
• Video Surveillance Systems: Monitor entrances, hallways, parking lots, and other campus areas through interconnected cameras.
• Access Control Systems: Restrict entry to authorized staff/students using keycards and smart locks.
• Visitor Management Systems: Keep track of guests entering and leaving the school campus with instant background checks.
• Emergency Alert Systems: Broadcast emergency instructions during critical incidents via panic buttons, automated SMS, PA alerts, etc.

Together, these systems can help schools stop weapons at entrances, monitor campus activity, and ensure rapid incident response.

2. How Does Athena Security Help Schools Detect Low-Level Contraband Like Vapes or Small Knives Without Constant False Alarms?

We help schools detect low-level contraband like vapes or small knives without constant false alarms through dual-energy X-ray scanning. This technology lets our AI X-ray baggage scanner evaluate an object’s atomic number, material density, and composition (metallic vs. non-metallic). 

So, if a vape is hidden in a bag, the X-ray scanner can analyze the vape’s battery, coil, and liquid to distinguish it from harmless items like pens or chargers. Similarly, our AI can evaluate metal mass and density to detect small knives/blades.

Read More: How to Detect Vapes in Schools

3. How Can Security Officers Perform Secondary Checks for Flagged Bags or Heavy Footwear Using Athena Security’s Screening Solutions?

Security officers can perform non-invasive secondary checks using our Secondary Screening WDS™. Students can simply walk past this unit, which screens boots, shoes, and bags via millimeter-wave radar in seconds. No need to perform manual searches, wanding, or pat-downs.

4. How Does Athena Security’s Weapons Screening System Handle Students with Severe Neurodivergence or Sensory Sensitivities?

Our system accommodates students with neurodivergence and sensory sensitivities through a calm, low-stress entry process:

• Non-Invasive, Open Design: Fully ADA-compliant, barrier-free portals let students pass through at their natural walking speed, without physical stops, touching, or intrusive wanding.
• Loud Alarm Reduction: AI threat filtering ignores harmless items like keys, phones, and belt buckles, eliminating loud false alarms.
• Silent Alert Routing: Notifications route silently to an operator’s iPad console or AR Alert Glasses rather than sounding loud audible alarms.

This enables high-throughput screening and prevents crowded queues (another trigger for sensory overload).

5. How Does Athena Security’s Bag-to-Person Identification Ensure Student Data Privacy?

Our bag-to-person identification ensures complete student data privacy in five ways:

• Configurable Local Retention: Schools retain complete ownership of all data. They can even configure data retention policies for automatic purging (e.g., local 24-hour retention or district-defined schedules). Also, data remains encrypted at rest and in transit.
• Device-Side Encryption: Alert images are encrypted on local screening tablets using keys held exclusively by the school.
• Two-Factor Authentication: Access to personally identifiable information always requires two-factor authentication.
• Notifications by Link: Alert notifications sent to staff devices contain a login-protected link instead of the image directly.
• Omits Facial Recognition: When capturing a student’s face, our systems don’t run facial recognition capabilities to maintain complete student privacy.

Besides this, our staff completes their privacy and security training (including FERPA) before accessing your school data.

6. Do Schools Need a Large Team of Security Guards to Deploy Athena Security’s Weapons Screening Solutions?

No, schools don’t need a large team of security guards to deploy our weapons screening solutions. In fact, we recommend the “2 security officers + 5 helpers” model to screen students quickly:

• 2 Security Officers: One officer handles secondary screening to resolve alarms, while an optional second officer provides overall checkpoint oversight.
• 5 Helpers: 5 trained non-security helpers (such as teachers, administrators, or staff members) handle routine tasks like guiding student traffic, placing backpacks on X-ray belts, and handing back cleared bags.

Learn More: How to Screen a Large Number of Students Quickly for Weapons

7. Can Federal and State Grants Help Schools Purchase Security Solutions?

Yes, several federal and state grants provide funding to help K-12 schools purchase security solutions and improve campus safety. Some of these include:

• COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)
• STOP School Violence Program
• Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
• Indiana’s Secured School Safety Grant
• Arkansas’ DESE School Safety Grant

However, when preparing a grant proposal, you must include a comprehensive budget for staffing and compliance, not just security equipment. To learn more, you can read our guide on how to write a school safety grant application for a weapons detection system.

8. How Can I Procure School Security Solutions from Athena Security?

To procure our school security solutions, you can book a free live demo below. Our experts will respond within 24 hours to understand your school’s security needs and demonstrate our security solutions. We’ll then conduct an on-site or virtual assessment of your school’s entrance layouts and peak traffic patterns before providing a customized quote.

You can also email us at [email protected] or call us at +1-833-928-4362.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based solely on publicly available sources and is intended for general informational and guidance purposes only. It should not be relied upon as a final decision-making resource or as a substitute for professional advice. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we make no representations or warranties regarding the correctness, reliability, or suitability of the content. If you believe any information should be updated, corrected, or removed, please contact our team for review. The images were created using AI-based tools and are for illustrative purposes only. They may not accurately represent real individuals, locations, or situations. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.