Weston to train security staff with NASRO and SERMA courses; seven guards scheduled for nationally recognized programs

The Weston School District has scheduled two professional development programs to train its campus security staff, administrators told the Safety and Security Committee.

Jim, the district’s security staff lead, said Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (SERMA) will deliver a de‑escalation course on May 16 that mirrors instruction police receive at the academy; NASRO, the National Association of School Resource Officers, will run a three‑day school safety officer course in August for the district’s security specialists.

Why it matters: Committee members said the trainings will professionalize the district’s security staff and create consistent practices across all seven security specialists who will attend the sessions. NASRO courses are nationally recognized and the district’s sworn SROs have previously completed NASRO curricula.

Course details and scheduling: Jim told the committee the SERMA session is a ‘‘couple hour course’’ focused on de‑escalation techniques and that NASRO’s school safety officer course will be a three‑day program beginning around Aug. 20. He said a challenge in scheduling was finding dates when all guards could attend without removing daily coverage; he worked with the vendor to minimize operational impact.

Committee questions and follow‑up: Committee members asked how Weston was selected for NASRO training. Jim said the district placed itself on a NASRO waiting list and coordinated dates so guards could attend with minimal disruption. Jim offered to share course objectives and outlines with committee members on request.

Status: The committee did not vote on a policy; the district has scheduled trainings and will share course materials with the committee and superintendent’s office.