Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board declines immediate switch to ALERT program; district to continue reviewing school safety options
Summary
After a staff presentation on new safety tools and a proposed transition from ALICE to the ALERT/ALERRT training model, the board voted against adopting ALERT for the upcoming school year; staff outlined pilots for outdoor alert strobes, weapon-detection equipment at events and visitor ID systems.
The Rapid City Area School District 51-4 Board of Education declined a staff proposal to adopt the ALERT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) model this school year and voted to keep existing procedures under current vendor agreements while continuing safety planning.
Mister Sargent, the district safety manager, described several safety initiatives the district is piloting or proposing for rollout: an outdoor alert strobe-and-speaker system that links to cameras and panic buttons, a visitor-management system with ID scanning and printed photo badges, and a pilot deployment of weapon-detection equipment at activities and athletic events. He also recommended a change in active-shooter training from ALICE to ALERT/ALERRT, saying, "In my it's it's of my opinion that it is time to change from ALICE to alert." The board ultimately voted down a motion to adopt ALERT for the upcoming year.
During the discussion, Sargent said the outdoor alert system is funded through an existing Safe Schools grant and would not cost the district beyond that grant if the purchases are within grant allowances. He explained the visitor-management system being tested with Johnson Controls would scan IDs, run a registered-offender check and print a photo badge so staff can track who is in each building. On weapon detection, Sargent said the district purchased ten sets of equipment but that staffing to operate detection at events remains a constraint; planned pilots aim to test feasibility for sporting and other controlled events.
Board members asked whether switching to ALERT this close to the start of school would create confusion and requested a phased approach if the district proceeds. Several board members said they wanted time for additional staff and family communication and training. Board Member Christine Stephenson said she preferred a slower rollout, calling an immediate switch "a big change for the district a couple weeks before school starts." Other board members raised concerns about the proportion of classrooms that lock from the inside; Sargent estimated roughly 30% of classrooms can lock from the inside and later said about half of doors could be secured by some method when accounting for multiple locking types.
Sargent described how ALERT emphasizes avoid/deny/defend strategies and aligns more directly with current law-enforcement rapid-response tactics; he said local law enforcement and the state security manager Brett Garland are already receiving ALERT training and can support district instruction. Sargent said he and Garland are certified ALERT instructors and offered to provide district training if the board approves the change.
The full board then voted on a motion to approve the switch to ALERT for the coming year; the motion failed on a roll-call vote with the board recording a unanimous "No." Following the failed motion, board members and staff discussed options including maintaining ALICE for the 2025–26 school year and implementing ALERT later with a more phased training plan.
Other safety items the district said it will pilot this year include: - Outdoor alert lighting/audio tied to cameras and panic buttons (Safe Schools grant funding). - Visitor-management system (Johnson Controls) with ID scanning and a registered-offender check. - Pilot weapon-detection systems at selected high-school activities, with added security staffing planned for events when the systems are used.
The board did not adopt ALERT at the meeting; administration said ALICE vendor access remains in place through September and that either option (renew ALICE for the year or plan a phased ALERT transition for a later start) can be implemented depending on the board’s decision timeline. Sargent said he had drafts of both the revised Alice-based crisis plan and an ALERT plan ready to proceed once the board provides direction.
