Administrators at Oak View Middle School in Newberry will be able to better track and manage vaping usage next school year thanks to support from the school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

The Oak View PTO recently sponsored the purchase of Verkada vape detection devices that will be installed in middle school restrooms for the fall.

According to Verkada’s website, “vape detectors are specialized sensors that are designed to identify aerosol particles and chemical compounds released during vaping. They use laser-based particle detection, chemical sensors, and humidity monitoring to distinguish vaping from other airborne particles like dust or steam.”

Oak View already has some familiarity with the devices.

Rob Campbell has served as the school resource officer (SRO) at Oak View for around five years. He said that four years ago, they were selected as a pilot school to put one vape detector into a bathroom.

“We had some success with that,” he said.

The pilot program ended, but Campbell has been lobbying to reinstate and expand it.

While attending the Association of School Resource Officers (FASRO) conference in July 2025, Campbell said he met with a vendor from Verkada who turned out to be local to the area.

The vendor, Campbell said, helped Oak View get a trial period with two more vape detectors that were installed in bathrooms in October 2025.

Oak View Principal Jared Taber told Mainstreet that installing the two devices this past fall was a preventative measure.

“We didn’t really have an issue with [vapes] out here, and that’s something that we wanted to continue with. . .,” he said.

Liking how the devices worked, Taber said Oak View asked Verkada for a quote to upgrade the rest of the restrooms with the devices.

“We kind of initially thought it was going to be like a multi-year project because it’s expensive [to install the devices],” Taber said.

Instead, Taber said the PTO stepped up and helped fund the purchase of additional vape detectors that will be installed in bathrooms for sixth through eight students over the summer.

Campbell, who is also involved with the PTO, noted that the organization had money set aside for a playground on campus. However, with Oak View expanding into a Pre-K-8 campus this fall, he said that money was reallocated to the vape detectors.

“We have this money that is supposed to go to things like school safety, technology [and] improvements, so it kind of fit the bill,” Campbell said.

Taber said the cost of the devices was $17,493. He added that the devices are part of a three-year plan.

With the purchase of the additional devices, Taber said eight out of the school’s 10 middle school restrooms will be covered by the next school year. He added that they’re hoping to purchase two additional devices over the summer.

“We’re just kind of working on finances on that one,” Taber said.

Taber said the vape detectors look like a Wi-Fi router and are mounted to the ceiling in the restrooms. He explained that once the sensor goes off, it sends an alert via phone and email.

The sensors can identify specific vape devices (vape pens, vape mods, cigalikes, etc.), and Taber said they also have features that give alerts for loud screaming or commotions.

“We primarily just use them for the vape detections,” Taber said of the sensors.

Taber said Oak View is the only public school in Alachua County to have the vape detectors. He noted that their overall goal with implementing the devices is to educate the students.

“That’s really where we’re trying to come from,” Taber said. “We’re not trying to suspend kids for a long period of time over a silly mistake that they made in middle school.”

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.