HADLEY — A new security system to identify if a firearm is brought into the public schools, alerting specific local school and law enforcement personnel in these circumstances, will be installed at both Hopkins Academy and Hadley Elementary School.

Three months after the School Committee was first apprised of the possibility of using the high-tech, artifical intelligence-based tool, which will work in conjunction with the existing camera security system, committee members at the Dec. 16 meeting voted unanimously to move forward with the Equature Aware Detections System.

Equature will be installed at no cost to the district after receiving a $25,000 grant, jointly sought by Hadley schools and Hadley Police Department over the summer. The grant covers the entire cost of the 12 cameras, server and software, and annual license subscriptions.

Police Staff Sgt. Michael Romano, who has been a school resource officer, told the committee that Equature offers a cutting-edge system, with passive detection of weapons that is not intrusive. He expects the system could be seen at other public and private schools going forward.

“Another tier of security and little bit more awareness for all of us,” Romano said.

The system sends alerts to personnel designated by the school administration working with the public safety department. Any alerts would also have a copy of the image considered to be a possible weapon.

Steve Bigda, the school’s director of technology, said none of the information captured by the security system and the detection system is leaving the campus. A document will also be signed by both the schools and the company ensuring that no information is stored or retained off site.

“I like what they’re doing,” Bigda said, observing that Equature’s tool is a light footprint that doesn’t affect bandwidth or other aspects of the server.

The company answered many of the School Committee members questions from a September meeting, including its reasons for creating the system in use in 12 other districts: “Equature developed the grant program to help with the ongoing problem with school shootings and wants to help with making school a safer environment.”

Other committee questions centered on privacy and whether the tool could be used to profile certain students and staff members based on clothing or demographic characteristics. The company responded that this would not be the case.

“The Equature aware weapons detection does not profile or analyze any personal aspects of an individual. It was designed to detect and alert individuals when long arm guns and pistols are detected.”

Concerns appear to have been allayed.

“I don’t really see any downsides to this,” said member Christine Pipczynski, who said she appreciates having another level of protection.

Committee member Paul Phifer wondered how officials will determine its effectiveness, though, if a decision has to be made for a long-term investment.

Romano said his main concern is that there could be false alarms in the alerts. He said there will have to be accommodations for when police officers carrying sidearms enter the building and also to ensure that if a contractor is carrying a hammer that that tool won’t be identified as a gun.

But he said Equature is ready to work through any of these issues at no cost to the town.

Other business

In other business, McKenzie asked for input about whether the School Committee should continue its process of not being closely involved with the development of course curriculum and instructional materials. McKenzie said some parents and families have reached out with concerns about some aspects of the curriculum, and at a recent Select Board meeting a mother said it was inappropriate for her child to read “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie and not be offered an alternative text.

McKenzie said the current process aligns with Massachusetts Association of School Committee recommendations, that the committee is only involved for approval of major curriculum revisions upon recommendation of the superintendent, not selecting individual books or the syllabus.

All books and materials used are typically provided to families in various ways, like Google Classroom, emails and in-person conferences.

Pipczynski said teachers choose books based on content and the lessons they have in their classrooms, and are accommodating. “We need to trust them and do trust them,” Pipczynski said. “We should never be second guessing; they are professionals.”

Committee Chairwoman Humera Fasihuddin said it would be labor intensive for committee members to look at every book in every classroom. “I think we have the best educators in the Valley and I trust our administrators to ensure our strategic priorities translate to a direction that guides those selections,” Fasihuddin said.

“As someone who lives in this world on a daily basis, when it comes to curriculum decisions, books decisions, I tend to trust teachers and instructional leaders in the school, to make those decisions and I think that’s the best approach possible,” said committee member Ethan Percy.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.