At the tail end of a quick school board meeting that lasted just over half an hour due to being scheduled half an hour before the City Council meeting across town, and due to the winter storm which had already begun to drop snow, board members engaged in an impromptu discussion of the possibility of arming school staff, in the wake of the tragic shooting in Perry.
Dr. Aaron Parrot first broached the subject by asking, “is it possible to look into teachers carrying?” To which Superintendent Jess Tolliver responded, “that is something you all would have to decide on.”
This led to a discussion between the board members that delved into actions other districts had taken or attempted to take, and insurance considerations.
Tolliver noted that “I did talk to the police department about an SRO,” (School Resource Officer), also pointing out however that while an SRO can carry, one would have to service all three schools and all four buildings.
Board President Tracy Crail brought up the timing of the Perry shooting, noting it took place before school, meaning that any SRO would have to be on duty early, or late, not just during school hours.
“This is my opinion on this,” said board member Darren Robinson, who is also a Wright County Sheriff’s deputy, “you had a student who was known. He went into the school and went into a bathroom and put it (the gun) together.” Noting that no one would have known to stop the shooter, as he was a student.
“We’ve had a county wide meeting already,” Toliver informed the board, “we have the radio, it takes over their radios for 30 seconds so we can say something is wrong.”
This led to discussion of ways to improve communication and coordination with law enforcement in the event of a crisis. Robinson recommended expediting law enforcement access to the school’s surveillance cameras in a crisis. “On our tablets, I could actually be going through the school with other officers and be seeing the cameras live, because our computers are cellular based.”
Going back to the issue of teachers carrying firearms, Tolliver noted that any staff selected to carry would need to receive training, and that he thought it was best if the board “finds a way that we can fund a Resource Officer.” He also remarked that “I once said that it (teacher’s carrying) was the dumbest idea I ever heard. But when it hits so close to home…”
And speaking of close to home, Tolliver also reflected that, “it wakes up people. It kinda threw the week into disarray. But it really makes us think, and think about how can we support another district that’s pretty close to us.”
In other business, the board discussed the hold placed on Iowa’s book bans, and the effect on the district’s new policies. Tolliver noted that because the new law would prohibit students being on a book challenge committee, the two students on the prior committee had been removed. The new committee will be a six person committee appointed by the Superintendent. The board approved the policy changes unanimously.
The board also discussed the roofing project, noting that the supplies had been purchased and delivered from the Schwartz company, who not only bid the job significantly cheaper than other bidders, but also promised to start the work and complete it much earlier than competing bidders.
Also, early retirements and early graduations were approved.
