Blaine County District expands threat-assessment program, vows clearer parent alerts after two school incidents

Trustees of the Blaine County District on Tuesday reviewed an expanded safety program that district and local law enforcement officials said aims to prevent and better manage threats to schools and to improve parent communications after two recent incidents at a middle school.

The update outlined a districtwide shift toward a behavioral threat-assessment model developed by Dr. Dewey Cornell at the University of Virginia (commonly referred to in the meeting as C‑STAG), adoption of a digital case-management tool (Navigate 360), new reunification kits at every site and a schedule of drills designed to cover a broader set of threats and responses.

District officials said those changes matter because most school attackers leave behavioral clues and earlier interventions can reduce risk. “The threat assessment process is not…a crisis response. It’s a preventative model designed as a preventative model,” Jamie Delgado, the district’s school psychologist, told the board.

Chief England and Sheriff Ballas (county law enforcement) described stepped-up training for school resource officers, rekeying of interior and exterior doors at every site, and planned additional training in internet‑crimes investigations for SROs. The district said staff received option‑based emergency protocol refreshers at the start of the year and that every site now conducts the monthly fire/evacuation drills required by code plus two options‑based drills annually (one focused on denying access, one on avoidance). District leaders said they will add a secure‑campus drill and a shelter‑in‑place drill to the annual repertoire and will give students short pre‑drill refreshers to reinforce language and reduce trauma risk.

Delgado said the threat‑assessment teams are school‑based, multidisciplinary groups that include administrators, counselors, psychologists and SROs. She said most referrals are classified as transient (non‑threatening) and resolved with school‑level interventions; a small percentage require more in‑depth assessment and planning. The district reported it began using Navigate 360 in February 2023 and had recorded 83 cases through the report period, the majority resolved as non‑threats.

Board members pressed officials on communication to parents after two incidents at a middle school that drew attention in the community. Trustees and administrators agreed the primary audience for an immediate alert is the directly affected families but said broader, quicker districtwide acknowledgement—at least to say an incident occurred and is being handled—would reduce confusion and rumor spread. Chief England and Superintendent Fowdy said they will look for procedures to issue an initial, brief reassurance districtwide while investigations continue.

Trustees and administrators discussed whether to expand SRO coverage or explore armed‑staff models at smaller schools. Chief England recommended forming a committee that would include law enforcement and district staff to examine options, legal issues, cost and staff willingness. “The question for the board is how do you get someone who is armed, capable and willing?” he said, noting other Idaho districts have tried varying approaches with mixed results and that staff surveys and legal work would be necessary.

Officials also described operational changes: standard reunification kits and a mobile kit held at the district office; translated PowerPoint materials (English and Spanish) for staff to use in pre‑drill briefings; and plans to incorporate emergency‑protocol training into substitute onboarding and other routine touchpoints so more staff see the material.

The board did not take formal action during the discussion. Trustees praised the work and asked administration to return with specific proposals on communications and on any SRO/armed‑staff options the board may want to explore further.