Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
District presents safety, security data; police cite partnership and threat-assessment work
Loading...
Summary
Santa Rosa City Schools staff and the Santa Rosa Police Department reviewed survey trends, reduced weapon confiscations and new student safety-advisor roles, while trustees questioned staffing cuts and how community partnerships will fill program gaps.
Santa Rosa City Schools on March 11 presented district safety and security data and described new partnerships that officials say are helping campuses feel and be safer.
Executive Director Stacey Desideri reviewed Panorama and YouthTruth survey results showing steady improvements in students’ sense of safety — a 4-percentage-point gain among grades 4–6 and a roughly 12-point gain for grades 7–12 over three years — but warned that some groups, including non‑binary students, continue to report much lower feelings of safety. Desideri said year‑to‑date district data show 4.1% of students suspended at least once (a 1.2 percentage‑point decline), and that 76% of suspended students received only one suspension, an 8% improvement from last year.
Desideri described a suite of security and climate measures: fences and locks when appropriate, a districtwide "Student Safety Advisor" (SSA) role at elementary and secondary sites trained in supervision and tier‑1/2 restorative practices, Safe School Ambassadors (student peer leaders), “StopIt” reporting for bullying and cyberbullying, and memoranda of understanding with local responders. She said weapons confiscations through Jan. 10 were roughly half of a prior comparison period and attributed that drop in part to community outreach.
"When we confiscate a weapon on campus, we immediately call Santa Rosa Police Department," Desideri said, and added that for pills or powders the district now involves SRPD because of safety and disposal concerns.
Sergeant Crosby of the Santa Rosa Police Department told the board the department has been "working actively" with schools on behavioral-threat assessments and on preventing off‑campus youth violence that sometimes occurs near campuses. He encouraged continuing relationships that allow follow‑up mentoring and consistent responses.
Trustees pressed staff about the implications of the district’s planned staffing reductions. Trustee Kirby questioned whether the analysis compared comparable periods; Desideri said she used fall semesters for an apples‑to‑apples comparison. Trustee Jenkins asked whether all blades and knives are turned over to police; Desideri responded that the district treats knives as weapons and turns them over, citing Education Code requirements.
Trustees also asked about capacity for additional MOU‑based services as some district positions are reduced. Desideri said the district is seeking more formal MOUs to expand mental‑health support and will rely more on community partners for tier‑3 restorative conferencing and other services where staff capacity declines.
Why it matters: The discussion framed safety as both a technical and cultural challenge — calls for fences and locks were balanced against calls to protect climate and relationships. Trustees signaled support for partnerships while warning that planned personnel cuts could weaken day‑to‑day supports staff provide.
What’s next: Staff said the presentation and related safety planning will return to trustees for follow‑up, and the board agreed to schedule more in‑depth review of site safety procedures ahead of fall implementation.
Quote excerpt: "One of the most important areas we have to continue to focus on is our students who self‑report as non‑binary because there is almost a 20% difference in their experience of safety at school," Desideri said. (Stacey Desideri)
