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Students, parents urge board to keep school resource officer Noden amid personnel dispute
Summary
More than a dozen students, parents and community members addressed the Chino Valley Unified School District board urging the district and the town to retain Officer Noden as the high school’s school resource officer. District officials said the officer is not a district employee and personnel matters cannot be discussed in public meetings.
Dozens of Chino Valley High School students, parents and community members spoke during public comment to urge the Chino Valley Unified School District board to keep Officer Noden as the district’s school resource officer.
Speakers described Noden as a mentor who attends extracurricular events, builds trusting relationships with students and supports families. "He treats every single student with kindness and respect," said Thomas Silva, a senior at Chino Valley High School. Several students read written statements gathered from peers, and Paul Asano, a senior, handed district staff a packet he said contained 446 signatures supporting Noden’s continuation as the district’s SRO.
The public speakers stressed that Noden’s presence creates connections between students and law enforcement outside crisis response. "When you find a police officer that can reach our kids and help them for the better, in my opinion, that is a cop who is truly doing their job," said parent Angela Moody.
Board President and other district officials answered procedural questions about who has authority over the SRO. Superintendent Daniels said the officer is employed by the Town of Chino Valley Police Department and that the district contracts for police services; the district does not employ the individual officer. Daniels said personnel matters cannot be discussed in public without the employee’s consent and that Arizona law restricts discussion of personnel issues in open meetings.
Board members and staff said the district and the police department both provide input to the staffing decision. The president said the board could consider placing the subject on a future agenda for further discussion if warranted. "We can look at this further and maybe put it on an agenda item for further discussion," the president said, but no formal action to change staffing or the contract was taken at the meeting.
The meeting record shows wide public support for maintaining Noden at the high school; district staff noted they would take the comments into consideration but said the town police department ultimately assigns its employees to meet the district’s contract for services.
