Bernalillo, Rio Rancho schools enforce new security measures

RIO RANCHO/BERNALILLO — Rio Rancho and Bernalillo public schools have introduced their own sweeping new security measures, from armed officers to clear backpacks, but not all of them have come without challenges, officials say.

The initiatives, which are not joint ventures, were announced just prior to the start of the new school year. Rio Rancho began instruction Aug. 7, while Bernalillo followed Aug. 11.

Here’s a look at details regarding the security measures:

RRPS metal detectorsEagle Ridge Middle School and Lincoln Middle School are both experiencing challenges with using or implementing the Evolv Technology security system.

Sal Maniaci, the district’s executive director of safety and security, acknowledged a parent organization’s social media post that said zippered binders “tend to trigger the system and may result in unnecessary bag searches” — or “conceal prohibited items.” As a result, the school is beginning the process of phasing out the use of large zippered binders by the 2026-27 school year, the post stated.

While Eagle Ridge leadership declined to comment, Maniaci responded to the social media post in an interview by saying students were advised to place the binders in their lockers. Some students, however, were “inventive” by taking the binder part out and using the zipper bag to carry their belongings, he said.

“There are so many different ways to take care of that problem,” Maniaci said.

Evolv is operational at three of the district’s four middle schools, the exception being Lincoln Middle School due to the aging school’s inability to handle the technology, he said. A power source is expected to be installed in the next several weeks.

“It’s not just a matter of popping a hole in a wall, like at a house,” Maniaci said. “We didn’t get to build these schools with Evolv in mind.”

He is not concerned about the school’s safety because of a layered approach to security by implementing cameras and police officers.

Evolv, however, has concerned the Federal Trades Commission, which in November 2024 sued the company for alleged false claims about its product, Evolv Express — specifically, that it would detect dangerous items and not harmless ones. A federal judge ruled that Evolv must engage in compliance monitoring with the commission and give customers the right to cancel their contracts with the company.

RRPS said at the time that it was aware of the court order but would keep using Evolv. Maniaci expressed confidence in the system.

“We have to be realistic when it comes to school security,” Maniaci said. “There is nothing out there that is 100%.”

He is not aware of any RRPS school that has failed to detect a dangerous weapon using Evolv. It found one knife at Cleveland High School this year, according to Maniaci.

He added that he prides his department on “being willing to evolve — no pun intended — to make the best choice and the best design for our students.”

BPS enhanced security guards

In response to “ongoing national and local safety concerns,” the district began using enhanced security guards — armed individuals with a previous law enforcement or security background, according to both a letter to families from and in an interview with Superintendent Matt Montaño.

The guards will ensure safety in and around schools, prevent unauthorized access from visitors and respond to safety concerns, Montaño wrote in his letter. They will work at all of the district’s schools, except Bernalillo High School and Spartan Learning Academy, which already have school resource officers — police officers on contract with the district to protect schools and serve a variety of other functions, he wrote in an email.

But unlike SROs — who have the power to arrest individuals — the guards will be utilized only in response to imminent threats, Montaño wrote in the email.

In an interview, Montaño likened the guards to a form of insurance for the district.

“You hope you never have to actually use them, but it gives you a little bit more peace of mind about the preventive measures you’re taking,” he said, adding that he hopes the program “gives some sense of relief to our principals.”

In the interview, Montaño said he began thinking about additional security measures when he was appointed superintendent in 2021, once he learned that four of his schools on Native American land or in nonincorporated towns could not provide its own security resources. A BPS security summit in 2022 formally jumpstarted the process of the district “ramping up an armed security guard program.”

BPS clear backpacksClear backpacks will be mandatory for BPS students in grades 4-12, regardless of their discipline history, wrote Thomas Maes Jr., the district’s director of safety and security, in a letter to families.

“Clear backpacks help school staff see what’s inside without needing to single anyone out for a bag search,” Maes wrote. “This simple, non-invasive protocol helps prevent students from accidentally or intentionally bringing unsafe items — like vapes, alcohol, or other prohibited materials — onto campus.”

He added that the backpacks will help stop “potential risks,” including an active shooter situation, “before they happen” as opposed to school and security officials reacting.

However, clear backpacks are not a complete solution to protecting schools, Maes wrote, and are just one part of a “layered approach” to security.