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Parents press Nome schools for better communication, town hall after firearm incident
Summary
Parents raised alarm about delayed district communication and debriefing after a recent firearm incident at NBMHS and urged faster security upgrades; superintendent agreed to host a town hall and pursue facility and funding discussions with the city.
Parents in Nome pressed the school board on Jan. 13 for clearer communication and faster action on security after a recent firearm incident at Nome-Beltz Middle-High School (NBMHS), saying the district’s response left families uncertain and anxious.
Krystal Hensley and Amber Otton told the board they had not received timely responses from the district about the incident and said students reported no debrief or safety review following the event. Otton noted the national context of firearm incidents in elementary schools and asked the district to be transparent about emergency procedures for NES.
“Parents do not know what is happening in the moment of a safety concern,” NEA President Rachel Ventress said at the second public comment period, urging the board to take community concerns seriously and move quickly on communication and safety measures.
Several parents called for secure entry doors and better coordination with city partners; one commenter recommended issuing an RFP to lock school building doors quickly. Jesse Blandford and others praised students who reported the firearm and asked the district to prioritize security upgrades.
KNOM News Director Ben Townsend offered to livestream a proposed town-hall meeting at no cost. Superintendent Jamie Burgess responded that she will improve communication, host a town hall on school safety, plan a facilities walk-through with the board and city council, and press the city to prioritize funds for security updates.
No board vote was taken on specific security projects at the meeting; next procedural steps include scheduling the town hall and the planned facilities walkthrough.
