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Board approves one‑year contract for armed school guardians amid waiver debate
Summary
After extended debate over alternatives (SROs, volunteers, waivers), trustees approved a one‑year contract with a security firm to provide trained armed guardians at selected schools and to help train district volunteers; several trustees expressed discomfort but said legal compliance and training bottlenecks limited options.
Salt Lake City School District trustees voted Aug. 4 to approve a one‑year contract with a private security firm to provide trained armed guardians at selected schools and to assist in training internal volunteer guardians. The vote came after prolonged discussion about how to comply with a recent state school‑safety law that requires designated school safety personnel.
Board members reviewed options including expanding school resource officers, recruiting volunteers as guardians, applying for state waivers, or contracting with private security. The district's school safety director told trustees that many districts along the Wasatch Front have used a mix of volunteers, SROs and private contracts; trainers from the county sheriff's office are a bottleneck, so vendor‑provided trainers were presented as necessary to certify guardians in time for the school year.
Trustee discussion focused on community concerns, equity across schools (some will have volunteer guardians; others will have contracted guards in uniform), and the financial and logistical implications of the chosen approach. The motion to approve the contract passed after failed or withdrawn attempts to table or postpone the decision.
