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Board approves responses to three Santa Barbara County grand jury reports on bullying, mass‑shooting preparedness and gangs
Summary
The district approved formal written responses to three county grand jury reports. Staff said most grand jury recommendations were already in place or being implemented; the board approved the responses and discussed SRO roles, training, and preventative strategies.
Superintendent Garcia told the board that the district and most county school districts were named respondents in three Santa Barbara County grand jury reports issued in June 2026 and presented the district’s proposed responses.
For the bullying report, staff recommended and the board approved the district’s response after members thanked staff for a thorough review and noted the district is already implementing many recommendations. For the report titled "Preparing for the Unthinkable," the board approved the response after staff acknowledged the work of administrators and one departing staff member who led response drafting.
The third response addressed gangs in Santa Barbara County and included a discussion about school-resource officers (SROs). Ivan Diaz, director of student services, described the SRO program: the district participates in SRO selection panels, expects officers to build relationships with students, and requires a one‑week training that covers safe-school protocols, conflict resolution and community skills; de‑escalation training was confirmed as part of that curriculum. Board members asked about SRO introductions at family events and newsletters; staff said they will pursue parent outreach and include SROs in community presentations.
All three responses were approved by roll-call votes and will be transmitted to the presiding judge as required by Penal Code 933.05(f).
