The Great Falls Public Schools board voted unanimously during their Sept. 25 meeting to adopt a policy change regarding search and seizure in school facilities.

The policy allows school authorities to use reasonable means to conduct searches and during their Sept. 25 meeting, they updated the language to include devices, “which may include but are not limited to metal detectors, vapor detectors, vapor sensors, and smoke detectors. Notice of utilization of any device which may be considered surveillance will be posted in locations where such a device is in use.”

Superintended Tom Moore said it added that language, specifically vape detectors, to the existing policy, on the recommendation from the Montana School Board Association and the district’s policy committee.

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The board reviewed the policy update first during their Sept. 11 meeting. Moore said he’d received no feedback on the updated language.

Moore said school districts across the country have begun using vape sensors and detectors.

He said the district’s safety committee recommended the vape detectors, which are being installed in GFPS’ high school and middle school bathrooms, with input from the Cascade City-County Health Department and the Great Falls Police Department.

“Vaping is a huge issue in our schools,” Moore told the board on Sept. 25.

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It’s illegal for students to use those devices in public places, he said, and their use in schools is “creating quite a disturbance.”

Moore said there’s a diversion program for students caught vaping in school, but repeated offenses could send a student to juvenile court.

Moore told The Electric that citations for student vaping in schools have been increasing in recent years.

He said the district is trying to help students understand the dangers of vaping and keep the bathrooms free of vapes.

There was no public comment on the policy change during the Sept. 25 meeting.

Moore said that there will be signs posted that the vape detectors are in use.

Brian Patrick, GFPS director of business operations, said the vape detectors cost $63,134 for the middle and high school bathrooms.

The funding came from money set aside to address safety issues, he said.

The C.M. Russell High principal also added some of her budgeted funds in order to have coverage in all bathrooms at CMR, Patrick said.