Community Outreach Committee Forum: School Safety, September 12, 2024

The Rapid City Area Schools Community Outreach Committee held a forum on September 12, 2024, focused on school safety protocols and community concerns. The meeting featured an overview by the district's School Safety Manager, Matt Sergeant, detailing the district's crisis management planning, collaboration with law enforcement agencies including Rapid City Police and Pennington County Sheriff's Office, and safety programs such as threat assessments, lockdown procedures, and reunification plans. Community members raised questions about the role of School Resource Officers (SROs), online threat reporting via the Safe to Say program, bullying resources, and the impact of cell phone policies on school safety. Board members clarified that there is no current consideration to remove SROs from schools and discussed the importance of local control over policies such as cell phone use. The forum emphasized ongoing communication, community involvement, and plans for future listening sessions and safety education events. No specific procurement or contracting actions were discussed during this meeting.