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GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Hundreds of people have signed an online petition calling for metal detectors in Greenville County schools.
The move comes after an accidental shooting at Southside High School earlier this month.
Multiple media outlets reported that parents and community leaders met with the school board Tuesday about how guns get into schools.
The Greenville County School District released a statement in response to the petition, saying that while it has "strong and effective emergency plans," the district is "open to considering any reasonable efforts to enhance security.
The statement added that detectors are not 100 percent effective in keeping weapons out of schools, "which leads to a false sense of security and less vigilance."
The district is leaning against putting metal detectors in its schools, said Superintendent Burke Royster.
"There's not a lot of research that shows it's effective in making schools safer," Royster said.
However, parents contend that students already bring guns and knives to school. The students simply aren't caught. Metal detectors may catch weapons or deter students from bringing them to school, parents said.
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