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District officials say four new safety officers improved security, response and school culture
Summary
Administrators told the Regional School District 08 board that four safety officers hired last year have strengthened visitor screening, perimeter checks, camera monitoring and response times, and staff and teachers reported reduced anxiety and fewer disruptive incidents; the board asked for comparative incident data.
Regional School District 08 administrators reported to the board that four safety officers hired before the school year have become a core part of daily operations and school culture.
Chris Mayer, an assistant at the high school, said the addition of the positions "was the final missing piece" in the district's safety strategy, shifting the approach from reactive to proactive. He described duties that include perimeter walks, visitor screening, camera monitoring, arrival and dismissal traffic support, supervision of high-traffic areas and presence at extracurricular events. Mayer said the officers also free administrative and main-office staff to focus on their primary duties.
The presentation included staff testimonials about operational changes. Maryanne Aitken, the high school administrative assistant, said she was "very pleased when the safety officer positions were approved" and that she has "regularly observed safety staff interacting with students in a positive and effective manner." She described officers redirecting and de-escalating situations and helping with visitor management.
High school special-education teacher Steve Condon told the board he had seen a decrease in his anxiety since officers were added. Condon cited two recent incidents in which officers located a student involved in a behavioral incident and handled a classroom medical situation "like clockwork," enabling instruction to continue with minimal disruption.
Bethany Walsh, a middle-school inquiry science teacher, said officers' backgrounds "as retired police and probation officers" bring professionalism and a calm presence, and that officers walk the halls, learn students' names and check doors and cameras to keep buildings secure.
Administrators said safety officers also supported off-campus trips and athletic events and noted at least one medical response this year where a safety officer with EMT training assisted a student with a broken wrist while the student awaited pickup. The presentation said officers have suggested procedural changes that have improved entry procedures and consistency across buildings.
Board member Jessica Hall asked whether the district could produce comparative data—office referrals or incident counts—from before and after the hires. Administrators said compiling robust, year-over-year metrics was difficult immediately after the first year but that they would work to produce quantitative measures of trends over time.
Superintendent comments included the rationale for hiring four officers rather than three: cross-school continuity, coverage when officers are absent, and the ability to rotate coverage between the middle and high schools to maintain reception desk monitoring while keeping visible patrols.
The board did not take a formal vote on program continuation at the meeting; members thanked administrators for the report and asked staff to return with any available hard data on behavioral incidents and referrals that would quantify the program's impacts.
