Trustees direct district to negotiate converting campus supervisors to 'campus security' amid safety debate

The Perris Union High School District board on Feb. 25 voted 4–1 to direct district staff to review and negotiate a proposal to change campus supervisors to campus security, including training, equipment and uniforms, after a lengthy public-comment period and trustee discussion.

A public commenter urged the board to provide supervisors with protective equipment and training so they could "stay in the fight" against threats and return home safely. "If we don't have the proper training or tools to do that, to stop people from coming on campus to do harm to students and staff, what good are we?" the commenter said.

Trustees debated multiple operational concerns: whether principals and site administrators should be the primary decision-makers on campus-level safety, the scope of equipment (vests, handcuffs, pepper spray), the heat and working-condition implications of wearing vests, training standards and liability risks. One trustee urged polling principals, staff and parents before implementation; others argued the negotiation process would allow many items to be accepted, modified or rejected through collective bargaining and training certifications.

A safety professional invited to comment on the record was described by a trustee as an expert on school safety; trustees said any tools would require proper modular training akin to police academy standards and that use would be limited by policy and training results.

Trustee motions directed district staff to negotiate with bargaining units; the board recorded the outcome as 4 in favor, 1 opposed. Trustees said the negotiations will determine which items (if any) are ultimately implemented and that any employer-provided equipment would be accompanied by training, certification and site-level policies.