B-CC is one of three MCPS high schools that implemented VOLT AI on March 2. According to its website, VOLT – which stands for Violence Observation & Lead Tracking – uses artificial intelligence to detect security and safety concerns including weapons, fights, medical emergencies, unauthorized access, crowds, theft, and property damage. In light of the persistent gun violence problem in this country’s schools, VOLT AI is a welcome and positive initiative at B-CC.
The pilot program is scheduled to last 30 days, and take place at B-CC, Magruder, and Seneca Valley High Schools. Nearby, Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia has already signed a five year contract with VOLT, with the program now operating in every LCPS high school. According to the MCPS Chief of Security and Compliance, Marcus Jones, the proposal in MCPS has been in process since the fall of 2025, after VOLT reached out to MCPS. Chief Jones and MCPS say that there is no guarantee that the county will purchase VOLT after the evaluation period.
Concerns surrounding the new security measure include understandable hesitation towards constant surveillance. An MCPS Q&A spreadsheet allowing families to ask questions highlighted common concerns such as cost of the new program, incorrecting flagging, video retention, and who is able to view the footage. The spreadsheet includes answers from MCPS that state that the pilot program is operating at no-cost (meaning it will cost MCPS nothing), alerts are reviewed by humans, footage is generally kept for 30 days, and only select secure individuals have access to the data.
Acting principal Mr. Yates shared these concerns when he first learned about VOLT from MCPS in January: “My first reaction was, what does this mean for our students, our privacy, our staff?” However, he has grown to feel comfortable with the program. Mr. Yates was at the community meetings discussing VOLT, where community members shared concerns and got answers about the program. After the meetings, Yates said, “both the community and students felt like, okay, yeah … we feel safe.”
An MCPS message to families in the three schools participating in the program further assuages these concerns, assuring the community that VOLT does not use facial recognition, monitor individuals’ devices and online presence, track students from camera to camera, monitor audio, or operate in classrooms, bathrooms, or other private spaces.
Further, the AI program does not take any action on its own, it simply notifies trained humans to the possible threat, allowing the human to review – and, if necessary, handle – the threat. The program alleviates the difficulty of having eyewitnesses all over a school as large as B-CC, and ensures immediate action when needed.
Amidst the concerns, many B-CC community members are optimistic about the program. “Considering the recent Wootton shooting, I think [VOLT AI] is going to be very helpful in catching these people who are trying to injure our fellow students,” said freshman Lucas Harris.
As every student, parent, and teacher is well aware, this country has an ever burgeoning issue of gun violence in schools.
Sophomore Rocky Ben-Yehuda sees VOLT as a reasonable solution to this problem: “I think that unfortunately this is an obvious option and so we’re kind of at the head of being forced to take it.”
There are, of course, other security solutions, but they have flaws of their own. Bag searches require consent, staffing, and time. Similarly, metal detectors require staff, infrastructure, and slows down entry into school buildings. Thus, these options cannot be considered appropriate for MCPS schools at this time.
Moreover, of course, MCPS’s current systems are not working, as evidenced by Wootton’s incident and B-CC’s several lockdowns in the past few years. All of this considered, the new program is a reasonable next step in ensuring B-CC’s safety and security.
