District outlines steps to meet House Bill 84 school‑safety mandates

Aaron Croft, the district’s security and safety director, told the board the district conducted comprehensive safety and security assessments at each school and that many requirements from House Bill 84 are already aligned with the district’s strategic-plan priorities. “We were already leaning forward on a lot of the items and issues that the legislature imposed,” Croft said.

County security chief SRO Jamie Bootes outlined implementation specifics: limited entry points with badge systems and electronic locks, a panic‑button pilot at the middle school, and questions about ballistic window-film specifications. Bootes said the legislature will mandate ballistic film but has not finalized details such as required height or threat-level rating; “It is a 100% in law. It will be mandated,” he said. He explained manufacturers are marketing a range of products and that some low-quality installations elsewhere have been rejected as noncompliant.

Board members asked about effectiveness and cost. Bootes and Croft flagged backup power as a major open item—without reliable on-site backup power some schools could lose communications during outages. Croft said each school now has an assigned safety and security specialist (often a teacher or instructional coach) to coordinate local implementation, with Bootes and district staff working in tandem with school administrators and SROs.

The board took no formal vote on specific safety expenditures at this meeting; staff said they will return with details as state rulemaking clarifies ballistic-film standards.