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Mayor launches youth council, announces school safety beacons and new SRO

HUNTSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT ยท January 8, 2026
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Summary

Mayor Travis Dodson introduced Huntsville's inaugural youth council and said the city won RDOT approval for school-zone flashing beacons, estimating the project's cost at about $1,415,000; he also announced a new school resource officer began duty in Saint Paul.

Mayor Travis Dodson introduced the city's inaugural youth council and framed the program as civic education and leadership development for local students. He said the council will include courthouse visits, job shadows and a culminating trip to Little Rock, where students will visit the state Capitol and Little Rock Central High School.

"This is our first inaugural marriage youth council, and we hope to have many more," Dodson said, describing plans to "introduce these young leaders" to local government and public service. He urged students to learn about how democracy works at the local level.

Dodson also announced a school-safety upgrade: he said the city received approval from RDOT for flashing beacon lights at school zones and that the city will sponsor installation on main thoroughfares. "It's gonna cost us probably about $1,415,000 dollars," Dodson said, adding the project targets major routes where children cross hills and busy streets.

Dodson noted a personnel update tied to safety: "New SRO started today down in Saint Paul," he said, calling the timing appropriate and the assignment a welcome step.

Why it matters: the mayor's youth-council initiative creates sustained, hands-on civic exposure for students and pairs it with concrete safety investments the city intends to fund. The beacon project, if delivered as described, would be a multi-million-dollar local infrastructure commitment with direct visibility for families and school routes.

What's next: Dodson said the youth council will meet and job-shadow through April, and the city will proceed with the RDOT-approved beacon installations; the board did not take a separate, recorded vote on the beacon funding at this meeting.