Are Steilacoom School students safe?
That concern prompted a study and assessment about the topic that culminated on March 7, with a town hall forum.
An estimated crowd of 100 parents, district teachers, school officials and students filled chairs Monday night in Steilacoom’s Town Hall to weigh in on the topic: Does Steilacoom Historical School District need a School Resource Officer?
School board chairman Sam Scott opened the session, reminding his listeners that, “things are not the way they once were when many of us were in school.”
The evening’s discussion about the still-to-be-made decision drew comments from about a dozen participants including a former Air Force MP, a public defender, a primary school PTA president, Jan McCrimmon, former high school principal, Andre Stout, current Pioneer Middle School principal, TJ Rodriguez, Steilacoom’s police chief, and DuPont’s police chief, the Puyallup School District SRO, as well as several parents.
A decision on the topic may be made at the school board’s March 23 meeting.
According to school district information: “We analyzed districts with SROs (School Resource Officers) and reviewed the standards from the National School Resource Officer Association, including the training modules they use.”
The District has “spoken to school districts regarding implementation of SRO positions at their schools, studied 911 calls district-wide and high school arrest data, “but the site assessment data was our key indicator in the need for an SRO position.”
Two years earlier the Steilacoom District arranged with Jesus Villahermosa of Crisis Reality Training for an assessment of the district’s schools. Recommendations from that site assessment included the priority of adding a SRO to the district.
While most attendees agreed about the need to ensure students’ safety, how to achieve that was not easily resolved.
Parental concern about the rumored payment of an SRO through “attrition” of current school positions did not sit well with many. SHSD Superintendent Kathi Weight assured her listeners that, “Costs will be absorbed through attrition, but no staff will be adversely affected by the addition of an SRO position.”
According to the handout, however, “funding for the position has been a prioritized and planned expense, aligned with district safety enhancements.
The SRO “will work with SHSD for the school calendar year, costs will be absorbed through staff attrition. Steilacoom Public Safety and the district also are “investigating a federal grant to further mitigate costs.”
A 22-point list of safety and security changes in the district included staff development training, purchase of additional radios, installation of a keyless entry system in all schools, and the addition of an additional supervision person at SHS.
Community suggestions included using MPs from the Town’s Community Connector Brigade. Alarmed about the recommendation, one parent said, “I think we have gone too far.”
“We have to do something,” another replied.
One parent agreed that this plan was “long overdue.” Another speaker said the study “raised important issues,” while another asked that the district “show us the data.”
Interested parents can view the Crisis Reality Training’s website at: www.crisisrealitytraining.com.
The School Board held a study session at the high school on March 9 to review Monday’s forum comments and suggestions. If any action is to be taken on the matter, the board will do so at its March 23 meeting, also set at the high school.