RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — About 2,000 students at Rockvale High School walked through metal detectors for the first time Thursday to enter the school building.

It’s part of a district-wide roll out of a new weapons detection system called Open Gate in Rutherford County Schools.

"It's tragic that we're here, but this is so helpful to us as another tool to keep our kids safe,” Claire Maxwell, RCS Board Chair, told News 2.

The district said overall, parents have been on board with the added security — even if it means some inconvenience. On Thursday morning, students who arrived early got in quickly, but at one point, there was a line that wrapped around the side of the building.

"We talked with other large districts — with large schools — across the nation, and really, within the

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