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Missoula speakers link recent campus threats to need for school safety levy, mental-health supports
Summary
Speakers in a Missoula meeting transcript described recent campus shootings and threats, urged passage of a safety levy to preserve staff and supports, and emphasized school resource officers and mental-health services as part of safety strategies.
Speakers in a Missoula public meeting transcript urged support for a local school safety levy after recent campus shooting reports and credible threats at area high schools, saying the measure would preserve teachers and support staff and expand mental-health services.
“Three individuals are now in custody as persons of interest regarding an active shooter threat at Hellgate High School in Missoula,” Speaker 2 said, citing recent arrests. Another commenter referenced a shooting on the Sentinel High School campus and called school violence a persistent, nonpartisan problem.
The commenters described safety as both physical and mental. “Safety is both physical. We talk about camera systems and single point entries and our relationship with first responders and school resource officers, but there's also a proactive mental health aspect of safety that is indispensable,” Speaker 3 said. Speakers also reported a prior lockdown linked to a social media firearm threat and said students are being exposed to drugs, listing vapes, dab pens, marijuana and fentanyl.
Speakers emphasized the role of school resource officers (SROs) and in-school support staff. “We have officers at each of our three high schools, and then we share two officers between our nine elementaries and three middle schools,” Speaker 1 said, adding that SROs can build trusting relationships and intervene before incidents escalate. Another speaker recounted SROs intervening when a student arrived on campus with a loaded firearm.
Several commenters stressed limits on classroom capacity and the need for behavioral supports. “I'm one person in a classroom with 30 students. I'm trying to meet all of their needs both academically and socially and emotionally. If I don't have a team behind me to help, things become unsafe,” Speaker 11 said. Speakers described behavior interventionists and full student support teams as both reactive and proactive tools to keep classrooms safe and learning-focused.
Supporters framed the proposed levy as a means to preserve positions and services. “Passing this levy would mean preserving teacher jobs and also our support staff, which helps students build their emotional and behavioral competencies and help all kids be successful,” Speaker 5 said. Another commenter identified themself as a Missoula taxpayer and urged community members to trust schools to use levy funds responsibly.
Commenters voiced concern about community trauma from school violence and the ripple effects on families and neighbors. They repeatedly framed safety as nonpartisan and essential even in smaller cities. Several contributors called for expanded mental-health access, earlier interventions, and continued partnerships with the Missoula Police Department.
No formal motion or vote appears in the provided transcript excerpt; the remarks are framed as public comment urging action and funding priorities rather than reporting any board decision or ballot language.
