As students head back to class, school safety is again front and center, and districts continue to wrestle with what role police officers should play on campus.
As students head back to class, school safety is again front and center, and districts continue to wrestle with what role police officers should play on campus.
In May, hundreds of Bothell High School students walked out of class after the Northshore School Board voted to end its 30-year school resource officer program. Concerned families later packed a board meeting, urging the district to reconsider.
Northshore is replacing the armed officer with campus supervisors for this school year.
Experts say there's no single solution to make schools safer and that prevention starts long before an emergency.
Many schools use threat-assessment teams that bring educators, counselors, mental-health professionals and law enforcement together to identify concerning behavior and intervene before it becomes a crisis.
Experts also say school resource officers play a large part in keeping schools safe, but they need help from parents.
Kevin Lynch with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said parents should make sure the district has current contact information so they can be reached quickly during an emergency.
Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reports that 93 out of 321 school districts in Washington state still employ one or more school resource officers, about 29% of the state’s districts.
