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Students and parents urge Northshore board to keep Bothell High school resource officer
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Summary
Dozens of students, parents and staff told the Northshore School District board that retaining Bothell High School's school resource officer, "Officer Ware," matters for student safety, emergency response and mentorship; the board did not act on the program at the April 27 study session.
Dozens of Bothell High School students, parents and staff told the Northshore School District board on April 27 that the district's school resource officer program should be maintained and that Officer Ware, the SRO at Bothell High, is a valued mentor and rapid first responder.
"Officer Ware is far more than just a uniform on campus," said Sage Comstock, a Bothell High senior who urged the board to keep the SRO position. Several other students described instances in which the officer arrived quickly at crash scenes or de-escalated tense moments and said his daily presence made them feel safer and more supported.
Student speakers and parents connected the SRO role to prevention and support as well as emergency response. "The presence of an SRO allows for quick response times in emergencies, strengthens prevention, and builds stronger connections with law enforcement," said Natalie Banks, a freshman and the school's student photographer.
Parents and staff reinforced those student accounts. Amanda Koshima, Bothell High's full-time school nurse, said she relies on the SRO during on-campus medical emergencies: "He frequently initiates EMS activation and helps maintain scene safety so I can focus on triage and treatment," she said. Several speakers said Officer Ware helps keep students out of the criminal justice system by using judgment and de-escalation.
Some speakers acknowledged national concerns about SROs but argued they do not reflect the local program. "We don't throw out an entire program based on broad assumptions or biases," one parent told the board, describing collaborative training with the Bothell Police Department.
Not all testimony was uncritical: board materials and task-force reviews were referenced repeatedly and some speakers called for clarity about training, oversight and how the program would be measured across schools. Malik, president of his high school's Black Student Union, said his club does not speak with one voice on the issue and warned against treating Black students as a monolith: "If the goal is to truly support Black students, then our diverse opinions must be the foundation of that decision," he said.
Board President Sandy Hayes emphasized process: comments raised during public comment were not on tonight's published agenda and the board will not act on them at this meeting. The board extended the public-comment period by 30 minutes to accommodate more speakers but took no vote on the SRO program itself.
The board did, however, move on to consent and capital items later in the meeting. Members thanked speakers and acknowledged the passionate testimony from students and families as part of the record. The district did not announce any immediate changes to the SRO program; future steps were not specified at the session.
