![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
On Jan. 10, senior Julia Choi was walking down the math hallway after her first block class when she noticed a change to the bathroom area: new sensors resembling smoke detectors were hanging on the wall next to the girls and boys 1300 bathroom.
“[The sensor] was flashing orange in the middle of the hallway,” Choi said. “I was like ‘Wow, what is that? What is it for?’ I went downstairs but it was [flashing yellow] in front of every bathroom. I was kind of [scared] to go into the bathroom because I was [thinking] ‘What if I trigger it without knowing?’”
In January 2025, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) installed HALO vape sensors at multiple high schools, including Rock Ridge, with the goal of transforming school bathrooms into safer environments. The sensors are multi-functional, incorporating health, safety, and vape detection by tracking chemicals, temperature, motion, and noise.
At Rock Ridge, the sensors haven’t been calibrated by the HALO company yet, causing random yellow flashing and hypersensitive reactions to students entering and leaving the restrooms. Since the installation, confusion and rumors about the origin and function of the sensors have circulated among the student body.
“Every time we walk by [the sensors], people are always like, ‘Is that doing its job? What is it doing? What does it mean?’” senior Deetya Mudaka said.
To debunk the myth about the function and capability of the mysterious vape sensors, The Blaze reached out to Daniel Adams, the LCPS Public Information Officer. Adams believes the installation of the vape sensors is a positive step to bolster student safety.
“We’ve noticed that poor decisions have been made in the restrooms because there’s no camera,” Adams said. “One of the things that the school division wanted to look at is technology as a way to improve, or increase wellness and safety while at the same time respecting privacy.”
LCPS installed the HALO 3C Smart Sensor in the restrooms, which are connected to AXIS D4100-E Network Strobe Sirens in the hallways. When any triggers are detected, the HALO sensor lights up, and notifications are sent immediately to designated staff, alerting them on the type of situation; a signal also gets sent to the strobe siren, which starts flashing yellow to alert students and staff in the hallway outside of the bathroom.
These sensors can detect any type of vape, including nicotine, non-nicotine, marijuana (THC) based vape, as well as smoke. In addition to detecting atmospheric irregularities, the sensors also identify signs of student emergencies in restrooms through spoken keyword detection. Once the sensors are calibrated, a student facing health emergencies or other distress can say the keywords “Help! Emergency!” which would trigger an immediate alert to designated staff. Aggression and weapon noise with abnormal noise levels such as fights, screams, slamming doors, or gunshots would also call for a prompt response.
Another tool is the panic button, which students can press if they are in an emergency, immediately alerting staff. “One of the concerns was ‘What if the student goes into a restroom that was designed for one person and then has a medical emergency? How do we know [about it]?” Adams said. “That’s what the sensors will tell [us]; there’s a panic button if they can reach it.”
The installation of the sensors was a response to rising cases of students using alcohol, drugs, and vapes throughout LCPS middle and high schools. According to data on Student Behavior and Administrative Response (SBAR) released by the Virginia Department of Education, LCPS experienced 79 cases involving students using alcohol, 343 involving drugs, and 453 involving tobacco/vaping during the 2023-2024 school year. In October 2023, the issue intensified when LCPS experienced nine opioid-related drug overdoses involving Fentanyl, as reported by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
With illicit behavior in bathrooms becoming an increasing concern, LCPS launched a pilot project in March 2023, the Restroom Privacy and Safety Pilot Program, investing 3.2 million dollars in bathroom renovations and sensor technology installations at five LCPS high schools and four middle schools. After receiving positive feedback on the project, LCPS expanded the program to all county high schools in January 2025. Currently, LCPS has installed 320 active sensors.
At Rock Ridge, some students voiced concerns about the sensors potentially recording conversations and invading students’ privacy. However, according to the HALO website, the HALO 3C Smart Sensor does not “use cameras, record audio, or capture any personally identifiable information.”
“We never want students to feel that there is some dystopian ‘1984’ ‘Big Brother is always watching’ type of environment; at the same time, we do have a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for you and your education,” Adams said.
Overall, the vape sensors at Rock Ridge have been receiving positive feedback from students who feel more secure with the implementation, signifying a positive step forward in maintaining student safety.
Junior Bhanuteja Alluri appreciates the new layer of security provided by the county. “[The implementation] gives [me] a good sense of safety because whether you’re involved or not, you never know what [could happen in the restroom],” said Alluri. “So, even by just saying ‘Help,’ you can provide benefits to other students.”
Statistically, issues surrounding vaping, drugs and alcohol aren’t as common at Rock Ridge as they are at other schools in the county; according to SBAR data, RRHS only reported one case involving alcohol, six involving drugs, and six involving vape/tobacco in the 2023-2024 school year.
“I think some people can be scared because if there is a detector, that means [the vaping situation] is severe,” Choi said. “So, if you see that in your school, you [start to wonder] ‘oh is my school in trouble?’”
Adams acknowledges student unease but assures the vape sensors are a more proactive measure than a response to issues at Rock Ridge specifically. “We know that vaping and drugs is a big enough issue that we don’t want to just [install sensors] in the schools that may statistically have a bigger problem,” Adams said.
While the sensors are a push in combating vaping and drug use, it’s not the only solution to eliminating the issue. The county added another layer of security in schools by conducting random canine scans with service dogs, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, and the Leesburg Police Department.
Additionally, Student Assistance Specialists support LCPS students by educating about substance abuse and nicotine issues through presentations, assessments, and crisis intervention. LCPS is also planning on launching an addiction recovery program at the North Star School to provide special support for students facing more serious substance use addictions.
With the sensors deterring students from vaping in the restrooms, there is concern that outside of school vape instances are going to increase. The county recognizes that the vape sensor installation isn’t going to eliminate all issues surrounding vaping and drug use, so it’s still working on solutions to increase student safety inside and outside of school.
“This is just one piece of an overall strategy, one tool in the toolbox,” Adams said. “We’re always on the cutting edge. We’re very fortunate to have the resources to be able to do those things. We’re always inventing new things that maybe other school divisions aren’t even doing, but we know this isn’t the cure – this is just one piece.”
This story was originally published on The Blaze on February 26, 2025.
