Board approves school safety specialist position, MOU with Gardner Police and authorization to carry firearm on duty

The Board of Education approved creation of a school safety specialist position at Gardner Edgerton High School, voted to accept an amended memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Gardner and the Gardner Police Department, and authorized the specialist to carry a district‑approved firearm while on duty, subject to training, oversight and the terms of the MOU and district policy.

Mark Meyer, district safety and facilities staff, said the district began considering the specialist position more than a year ago and developed a job description last fall. The board heard introductory remarks from Brian Yeagers, the first hire for the position, who identified himself as recently retired from the Olathe Police Department and said he had served as a school resource officer (SRO) for many years, primarily in high schools. Meyer described the specialist’s role as monitoring building access, improving mitigation of risk, supporting building and district administration, serving as a first responder and serving as a liaison with local law enforcement.

Meyer explained the MOU amendment reflects the joint meeting between district and Gardner Police Department leaders and specifies that the specialist will be a district employee while Gardner PD will provide training, qualification oversight and coordination. The MOU was described in the meeting as a partnership that will include annual training and qualifications.

On the firearm authorization, Meyer said the district proposes to permit the school safety specialist to carry a district‑approved firearm while on duty, with restricted access to the weapon and requirements for physical and psychological screening, annual recertification and incident reporting. Meyer said staff consulted the Gardner Police Department on weapon selection and training, and that the proposed district‑approved firearm is a 9‑millimeter handgun under Gardner PD guidance. He also said insurance and liability coverage considerations had been addressed with "very little to no impact" on coverage.

Board discussion included recognition of the Gardner Police Department’s support; Deputy Chief Herron of Gardner PD attended to affirm the partnership. Meyer cited relevant district documents when explaining the need for a board vote to permit a non‑law‑enforcement employee to carry a weapon on campus, referencing district policy language with similar content in policy KGD and in the classified employee handbook (section 5.9). He also reminded the board that any authorization could be revoked by the board.

The board approved motions on the job description, the amended MOU with Gardner Police, and the firearm authorization during the meeting; the transcript records the motions and seconds and indicates the votes carried. No vote tallies were recorded in the transcript excerpt shown to the public.

Sources: On‑record presentations by Mark Meyer and Brian Yeagers, and the MOU text included in the board packet.