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School board approves district-wide safety training for all staff; three-hour sessions planned
Summary
The Sumner County School Board approved funding for an externally delivered, three-hour school safety training to be offered to all district employees. Board members were briefed on training content, timing, cost per person and plans for broad staff participation.
The Sumner County School Board on Jan. 21 approved district funding for a countywide school safety training program to be delivered by an external provider and offered to all employees.
Director of Schools Dr. Robert Langford and safety staff described the training as a three‑hour, evidence‑based course focused on preventing and responding to violence in schools, trauma first aid, and practical classroom‑level measures staff can use. The district plans to offer the training to all staff — including front office clerks, bus drivers and teachers — and to run multiple sessions to reach the roughly 6,000 employees the district identified.
Katie (last name not specified), a district safety official who has observed the training in other districts, told the board the course is designed to inform and equip staff without being needlessly traumatizing. "This is the first training that I have attended that made me feel safer and more equipped," she said. The training includes scenario analysis and guidance; a longer six‑hour, hands‑on session is available but the district will initially deliver the three‑hour classroom version without hands‑on drills.
Board members asked about cost, refresher intervals and staffing implications. Administrators said the vendor rate is about $25 per participant for high-quality, in‑person instruction; the total cost will be presented in the final budget amendment. Long Hollow High School has agreed to host sessions to allow multiple simultaneous trainings. The district intends to invite county commissioners and other community partners to at least one session.
A motion to approve the training funding was made, seconded and passed by voice vote. There was no roll-call tally recorded in the meeting transcript; the chair declared the motion carried.
Administrators said timing will be coordinated with school calendars. They noted May would have been preferable but testing schedules and spring activities limit availability, so sessions will be scheduled around testing windows and local school calendars. The district plans to provide building‑level refreshers and to incorporate the training content into annual drills and safety reviews.
Ending: The board voted to fund the districtwide safety training and staff will return to the board with final cost and scheduling details as sessions are scheduled and the budget is finalized.
