El Monte Union High School District
Background
Located in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) has been a cornerstone of education since 1901. The district serves over 8,000 students in grades 9–12 across Arroyo, El Monte, Mountain View, Rosemead, South El Monte, and Fernando R. Ledesma High Schools. It also operates the El Monte‐Rosemead Adult School, one of California’s largest and most respected adult programs, educating more than 11,000 adult learners annually. With more than 1,200 employees, EMUHSD is committed to creating safe, supportive, and innovative learning environments for its diverse student body.
The Challenge
Like many districts across California and the nation, EMUHSD faced a serious rise in student vaping on campus, particularly in bathrooms. Beyond the health risks, vaping created unsafe, disruptive environments that impacted student well-being and learning.
Traditional disciplinary approaches proved insufficient. EMUHSD needed a modern, proactive strategy that could both deter vaping and strengthen broader campus safety initiatives.
The Solution
Vape Detection with Verkada
Under the leadership of Erick Steelman, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, EMUHSD deployed Verkada’s vape detection system in every student bathroom. Designed to be powerful yet simple to use, the system enabled administrators to begin monitoring in minutes, without technical expertise.
Principals and site supervisors began receiving instant SMS and push notifications when sensors detected vaping. To protect privacy in sensitive areas like bathrooms, sensors were paired with cameras positioned outside entrances, allowing staff to identify students involved without compromising privacy. Features such as live face blur and selective face blur for archived footage added further safeguards.
Beyond enforcement, Verkada provided district-wide dashboards and event logs that allowed leaders to track vaping trends across campuses. This data helped pinpoint high-risk schools, refine policies, and implement targeted prevention strategies to promote long-term student health and limit exposure to harmful chemicals.
To complement these efforts, Erick strategically placed horn speakers in bathrooms. While primarily used for daily announcements, the system also enabled emergency communication during lockdowns, helping ensure that students outside classrooms remained informed and safe.
Comprehensive Campus Safety Enhancements
Erick Steelman has also spearheaded a district-wide transformation of EMUHSD’s safety infrastructure:
Enhanced Video Security Over 450 cameras now monitor high-traffic areas across campuses. Coupled with Verkada’s AI-powered video search, administrators can quickly locate incidents using natural language queries, reducing investigation times from hours to minutes. With the introduction of History Player Search, staff can now go a step further — reconstructing a complete timeline of a student’s movements across multiple cameras with a single click. Instead of manually scrubbing through clips, administrators can instantly understand where and when a subject appeared, making investigations faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive.
Advanced Digital Access Control EMUHSD is rolling out over 1,000 electromagnetic locks across all schools, replacing outdated master key systems. These locks strengthen everyday security and provide centralized, remote lockdown capabilities, while eliminating costly rekeying.
Integrated Guest Management Each campus uses the Verkada Guest visitor management system to register, badge, and track all visitors, adding accountability and reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Expanded PA System Coverage District-wide horn speakers facilitate immediate communication during emergencies, improving readiness and reducing confusion during critical incidents.
Results & Impact
By pairing innovative leadership with Verkada’s integrated technology, EMUHSD achieved measurable success:
25–50% reduction in vape detections across schools within the first year.
Faster incident response with instant alerts delivered to administrators’ mobile devices.
District-wide visibility into vaping trends, enabling targeted prevention and policy refinement.
Protected student privacy with live and selective face blur on cameras linked to sensors.
Faster investigations using AI-powered video search and History Player Search, reducing response times from hours to minutes while providing a complete, chronological view of incidents across multiple cameras.
Greater emergency readiness with centralized access control and district-wide PA coverage.
Controlled visitor access, enhancing accountability and safeguarding students and staff.
Most importantly, Erick Steelman’s strategy has helped foster a culture of health, safety, and trust across the district. With vaping incidents down, emergencies easier to manage, and campuses more secure, students and staff can focus on learning and teaching with peace of mind.
