In 2021, schools and colleges in the United States spent an estimated $3.1 billion on security products and services like gun detection scanners, wireless panic buttons and surveillance cameras and software. The New York Times reports spending has risen since 2017, when $2.7 million was allocated nationwide. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds recently announced a plan to put $100 million in federal funds toward preventing school shootings, including up to $50,000 for all public and private schools to update the security of their buildings. The bipartisan gun safety legislation that passed in Congress last week also includes $300 million for school security. The amount of funding coming in and wide assortment of available technologies is prompting conversations and varied opinions about efficacy and how much schools should be investing. Brian Casey, a school technology director in Wisconsin, said schools should carefully decide what products or services they invest in while others have reservations about the technology making students feel less safe in school and being a byway for addressing mental health needs and access to guns. Read more in the full story.