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Board outlines five-member threat-assessment team, aims for policies by school year start
Summary
Board members said some staff have completed multi-level threat-assessment training and proposed a five-member team to evaluate and respond to threats, prioritize mental-health interventions and develop reentry plans; staff also reported two pending safety grants including an ADA-communication clock request.
The Stanley County School District 57-1 board heard a detailed report on safety planning and threat assessment that emphasized training, protocols and mental-health supports.
"The team then decides the severity of the threat," a committee member told the board, describing a five-member panel that would interview involved parties, weigh video and other evidence, recommend consequences, and — where appropriate — coordinate reentry plans for students sent out of district. The presenter said several staff, including Dustin Baxter and Kurt, have finished advanced levels of training and that four staff completed Level 2 training last week.
Board members and staff said the goal is to have the threat-assessment team trained and the district's policies and procedures in place by the first day of school. The committee plans to simplify an existing handbook and create a board-approved policy before operationalizing the team. "That's our plan," the committee member said regarding timelines and policy development.
Staff also reported two grant applications tied to safety: a VERA grant for 'stop the bleed' first-aid supplies and a Homeland Security grant request (a package described roughly as $90,000) for ADA-capable clocks and messaging devices to improve emergency notification for students with sensory disabilities. Board members asked clarifying questions about the scope and whether the $90,000 referenced a single device or a bundle of equipment and installation; district staff said the amount covers multiple clocks and associated programming, not a single door-lock system.
Next steps outlined to the board included completing remaining staff training, drafting the threat-assessment policy for board consideration, and returning with more detailed cost and implementation plans when training is complete.
