WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Schools around the country are continuing to improve safety and security in their classrooms following the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia that left four people dead and nine injured earlier this month. 

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) middle and high schools are testing a new weapon detection system this semester called OpenGate. They currently have about 175 less sophisticated metal detectors in schools across the district. 

WSFCS Chief Safety and Security Officer Jonathan Wilson said the new system is more efficient and precise at identifying weapons than traditional metal detectors.

"We are [able] to determine what was inside the bag that set it off and get the kids to their classroom much faster," Wilson said before demonstrating the new machine.

The district used reallocated funds from a safety grant to help purchase eight OpenGate weapon detection systems.

The eight systems will visit every high school in the district before the school board decides whether to implement them in schools district-wide, which will cost about $2 million.

The first two schools participating in the trial, Parkland High School and Robert B. Glenn High School, have had incidents of students bringing weapons to school last semester.

Robert B. Glenn High School principal Scott Munsie said the safety technology is part of a multilayered approach to violence prevention.

"From our standpoint, we know that the OpenGate system is designed to detect specific things it is looking for," Munsie explained.

"However, it can not detect mental health issues or the conditions that students are going through, and that is why we have great staff on hand. We have our student services department that works with our students continuously," Munsie said at a safety demonstration this month.

The OpenGate system is used in Rockingham County Schools, Durham County Schools and Willson County Schools.