Tacoma board honors Foss High responders as public commenters press for policy changes on school safety

Chief Patty Jackson of the Tacoma Police Department attended the Tacoma School District Board meeting to recognize staff and community members who intervened during a violent incident at Foss High School on April 30.

"What occurred at Foss High School on April 30th is something no student, no parent, no school, no community ever wants to experience," Jackson said, and she named several people the department would honor: Coach Mack; Campus Safety Officer Bond Mall; Campus Safety Officer Reese Johnson; Athletic Director Shantae Reed; and school nurse Ada Gutierrez. Jackson said the department would present its highest civilian honor, the Medal of Courage, to classroom and campus staff who acted to protect students and staff, and awarded a Certificate of Merit to nurse Ada Gutierrez for life-saving emergency care.

Jackson described the on-campus response timeline and praised those who "acted decisively, selflessly, and without hesitation," saying their actions "potentially saved a young person's life." She added, "For their extraordinary bravery and willingness to place themselves in harm's way to protect students and staff, the Tacoma Police Department proudly awards the department's highest civilian honor."

During the meeting's public comment period, Donovan Crocker, who identified himself as a lifelong Tacoma resident and former police officer, told the board he believes the district is facing "a serious and escalating safety crisis" and criticized past decisions to disarm school safety officers. "Removing their tools, their equipment, the training, the authority from the school safety personnel did not make our schools any safer," Crocker said, urging the board to address what he described as increases in violence and security failures.

Another community member, Trisha McElwain, urged the district to reconsider how often students use screens in classrooms. McElwain said she is not asking the district to remove devices entirely, but requested that Tacoma Public Schools consider low-tech options and allow more paper-and-pencil assignments, citing research she said links heavy screen use to declines in academic performance.

Superintendent remarks at the meeting emphasized collaboration with partners for programs such as Beyond the Bell and Club B; the superintendent assured the public that those programs would continue in 2026–27 through partners even if the district is not the direct provider.

The board did not take an immediate policy vote at the meeting to change the district's approach to safety staff or device use; the public comment statements were recorded for follow-up by the superintendent or designee, as noted in the district's public-comment guidelines. The district said staff would follow up after the meeting if action was needed.