Smooth second day at Broward schools after metal detector adjustments: Superintendent

Broward County Public Schools parents and students are breathing a sigh of relief after smoother start to the second day of school.

Big changes went into effect Monday, from new metal detectors at some high schools to tighter restrictions on students using their cellphones. However, the rollout did not get a passing grade.

But on Tuesday, school district leaders said tweaks were made to create a faster and smoother process, including more staff and metal detectors at some schools.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn said better communication helped prepare students for the metal detection process. He also confirmed that many high schools saw all students go through the metal detectors before the bell rang.

Dr. Hepburn did acknowledge that the sensitivity of some detectors were adjusted ahead of the second day of school after issues were discovered during day one. He ensured that he remained confident in the effectiveness of the detection system following those recalibrations.

South Broward High School was among those with fewer delays Tuesday.

Valentina Olortegui and her brother Kevin showed up ahead of time on the second day of school and were pleased with a minimal wait time.

"I'm so excited day two went very smoothly," Olortegui told NBC6.

Across town at Broward's largest high school, Cypress Bay, there was a similar success.

"Our students processed through our metal detectors very efficiently. It's about 7:40 am and we've got all of our students pretty much in class," Principal Dr. Kassandra Fried said.

Dr. Hepburn posted an apology about Monday's waits, but on Tuesday morning, he took to social media with a much different message.

"From my team that is spread out all over the district, they're reporting no issues at other schools," Dr. Hepburn said.

Some parents told NBC6 that if delays had to happen because of metal detectors, they had no problems with it.

"I think it's worth it for the safety of the students and the faculty," parent Tamara Font said.

Another big change that went into effect Monday was cellphone restrictions. 

From now on, students will have to put their phones away and place them on airplane mode unless their teacher tells them otherwise. 

AirPods and headphones are completely banned. 

The restrictions will be in place all day long, even during lunch. 

"Students will have their cell phones in their possession, so we’re asking them to power it down or put them in airplane mode," Hepburn said.