MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The school district has invested $10 million into new security measures for the upcoming school year that also includes costs of construction to build up security at school buildings.

Starting today, at all Manatee County high schools, students and visitors will walk through a screening system called "Evolv."

The district clarifies that this is not a metal detector but a weapons detection technology.

If the system detects something when a student walks through, that student will undergo further screening. The district notes that students should already be familiar with this new protocol, as it was randomly implemented in different high schools last year. Now, this new security measure will be present in every high school and randomly selected middle schools.

This comes after several security incidents over the last few school years. Two years ago, there were bomb and gun threats that resulted in student arrests. Last year, Palmetto Police took a 14-year-old Palmetto High School student into custody for bringing a gun to school.

Communications Director Michael Barber states that students who bring any weapon onto school campuses could face criminal charges and school discipline, up to and including expulsion — a measure they have had to enforce on students in the past.

"The real thought behind it is it provides a real sense of security for our students and for our teachers and staff as well, to know that, you know, there's this more sophisticated way of determining if there's something on someone when they come onto our campus," he said.

The Communications Director also mentioned that part of the $10 million security investment was allocated to upgrading school buildings.

At the beginning of the year, Manatee County Commissioners approved the installation of speed-detecting cameras in all school zones.

County officials say the cameras will only be active during school hours. Over the summer break, drivers noticed warning signs and cameras being set up. Similar to other counties installing these new cameras, the county states that there will be a 30-day warning period for drivers exceeding the speed limit by 10 miles per hour or more. After this period, drivers will be fined $100 for each violation.

The Manatee County Schools Communications Director, Michael Barber, expressed his hopes that these measures will enhance safety.

“The school district appreciates that the county commission took this action to authorize the speed zone cameras near our schools. We believe this adds another level of protection for students walking to and from school, or traveling to and from school,” he said.

Again, those who exceed the speed limit by 10 miles per hour or more will receive a warning notice, but after the 30-day period, they will be fined $100 for each violation.