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Parents and students press Phoenix Union board to prioritize counselors and clarity on safety after campus violence; board to place SRO staffing on future agend
Summary
Parents, students and staff told the Phoenix Union board Oct. 2 that recent campus incidents — including a fatal stabbing at Maryville and a pocket-knife altercation at Carl Hayden — show advanced detection systems and SRO deployments are not solving root problems; speakers urged more counselors and clearer communication. The board acknowledged concerns and directed staff to return with options, and members discussed adding SRO staffing to a future agenda.
At the Phoenix Union High School District governing board meeting on Oct. 2, parents, students and staff pressed trustees for clearer safety plans and more mental-health resources after a series of violent incidents. "Kids are killing each other," said Beatrice Cruz, who identified herself as representing Carl Hayden High School, describing a stabbing and what she called slow security response that left families uninformed.
The comments came during an extended call to the public, where multiple speakers questioned the effectiveness of advanced weapon detection systems and school resource officer (SRO) deployments. "AWDS is not the answer," said Nancy Lam, a community member who pointed to a…
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