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Lexington 1 details SRO coverage, drills, tip line and security upgrades; vape detection pilot underway
Summary
District safety director briefed trustees on school-resource officer agreements, drills and training, a tip line and camera, door-lock and vape-detector upgrades funded partly by a settlement.
Chris Elsor, director of safety and emergency services for Lexington School District One, told trustees the district now has a school-resource officer (SRO) assigned to every school after adding officers to elementary schools in the 2022–23 school year.
Elsor said the district shares SRO costs with county and municipal law-enforcement partners using a roughly 75/25 split. He said some SRO positions are covered by grants that reduce the district’s share. He also said vehicle funding and ownership terms vary by agreement and finance staff are working with partner agencies to clarify vehicle-management questions.
On drills and training, Elsor said the district uses the Standard Response Protocol (I Love You Guys Foundation) and CRASE active-shooter training and cited compliance with the state law referenced in the meeting (cited as 53 6 3 9 10). He reported 563 drills across 33 locations last year, and that law enforcement frequently assists lockdown drills.
The district operates a student tip line that accepts texted tips; Elsor said 179 tips had been received so far this school year, including bullying and safety-related reports, and that about 63% of tips come after hours.
Elsor described technology upgrades in progress: camera and door-lock replacements at secondary schools, camera upgrades for elementary schools to follow, Syntegix wearable staff alert devices (14 sites live with more to come), and an expanding vape-detection pilot. He said the vape-detection vendors tested unevenly, prompting careful procurement; vape detectors are designed to send alerts to offices and are not cameras, and procurement is underway with project start expected in the coming month.
He also described behavioral-threat assessment and management activity: since February 2021 the district has opened about 614 screeners and completed about 42 full assessments, with local mental-health partners and law enforcement participating in full assessments. Trustees asked about parent notification procedures; Elsor said parents are contacted before a case proceeds to full assessment and that schools handle ongoing monitoring and supports.
Board members asked whether SRO contracts are annual (Elsor: yes) and whether staffing could be adjusted by school size; he said larger high schools commonly have more than one SRO and contract terms depend on agencies’ costs and availability.
Elsor said one safety-team position is currently vacant and described regional coverage by the safety office. He told trustees that part of the funding for vape-detection purchases came from proceeds of a “Jewel settlement” directed to the district.
