Three High Schools to Pilot AI-Supported Safety Tool
As part of MCPS’ efforts to strengthen school safety, the district has launched a one-month pilot program with three high schools — Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Col. Zadok Magruder and Seneca Valley. The pilot is scheduled to begin Monday, March 2.
This is a short-term opportunity to test a safety technology, VOLT-AI, to gather feedback from the school community and to determine whether it supports the work the staff and school already do to keep students safe.
What Is VOLT-AI?
VOLT-AI (Violence Observation & Lead Tracking) is an AI-supported school safety tool designed to help staff notice and respond to potential safety concerns more quickly. It works with existing school security cameras in public areas to flag certain situations that may need attention. VOLT-AI does not make decisions or take action on its own. When something is flagged, trained school staff review the information immediately and decide whether a response is needed. A human always reviews the information and determines the appropriate response.
What VOLT-AI Isn’t
VOLT-AI does not:
- Monitor individual student devices, private messages or social media
- Use facial recognition or identify people by name
- Track students from camera to camera
- Record or monitor audio
- Operate in classrooms, restrooms or other private spaces
No decisions about broader use in the system will be made without community input, careful review and privacy protections.