Resident raises Lifewise vetting and liability questions; superintendent says Lifewise is a community program and district does not vet its staff

A resident raised three questions about Lifewise Academy and district liability following recent high‑profile incidents: whether Lifewise leaders are vetted by the district or Lifewise, what preventative steps are taken for non‑district staff who interact with students, and what liability the district would have for off‑campus activities. The resident asked the board: "Have the leaders of this organization been vetted thoroughly either by the district or by LifeWise?"

Superintendent Carl addressed the concerns during cabinet remarks, saying Lifewise is not a district program and families sign up directly with Lifewise. "Lifewise is not a part of the district at all," he said. "We do not vet Lifewise staff. We don't put any information out regarding Lifewise. So if families are signing up for it, I hope they're asking those questions."

What the district does do: Carl said volunteers and district employees are vetted through national or state registries and that employees are fingerprinted; the district receives reports if an employee is arrested after fingerprinting. He noted the district added a lockdown system and two resource officers at elementary schools and that the ParentSquare rollout is intended in part to strengthen administrative oversight of staff-to-family communications.

Next steps: The board did not answer the resident's questions during public comment; the chair noted the district would follow up and that someone would contact the commenter with answers. The superintendent encouraged parents to ask vetting questions of outside providers and said the district will review any information parents provide.