Case Study: Champaign Unit 4 School District achieves seamless, trust-building weapons screening and faster student entry with Evolv Express (Evolv)

Champaign Unit 4 School District Builds Trust with Students While Increasing Safety By Leveraging Evolv Express® System

Champaign Unit 4 School District, serving over 10,000 students in Champaign, Illinois, faced a surge in weapons‑related incidents and security screenings that created two‑hour queues and left students feeling “targeted.” The district needed a portable, fast concealed‑weapons screening solution that would integrate with its video and cybersecurity systems and could be run by security staff, teachers, and administrators. They selected Evolv and its Evolv Express® system (powered by Evolv Cortex AI™ and supported by Evolv Insights®).

Evolv deployed eight Evolv Express units (a mix of single‑ and dual‑lane systems), integrated them with the district’s Avigilon video management and cybersecurity infrastructure, and trained staff and administrators. The result: seamless, always‑on screening of more than 3,000 students daily with no queues, reduced false‑alarm rates from over 50% with walk‑through detectors to about 5%, timely arrival to class within a 30‑minute window, portability for events, and a measurable increase in trust among students, staff, and parents.

Champaign Unit 4 School District

Valarian Couch

Chief Information Officer