The Springdale school board met Tuesday night and approved a program that creates positions for commissioned school security officers. Eighteen officers will be hired to reach the goal of having an armed officer in every elementary school in the district."It's a 60-hour minimum training," Springdale Police Capt. Jeff Taylor said. "There's a yearly refresher course. It's a 24-hour course."A commissioned school security officer, or CSSO, is a private security officer who has completed additional training and has been authorized by the Arkansas State Police to carry a firearm on the property of a public K-12 school."This would be an additional layer of protection to where we have someone who is fully trained, fully vetted, that will have the appropriate clothing on that will be full-time security at every elementary school," superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland said. "It's an investment that I feel is necessary in today's world."In order to become a CSSO, a person must be at least 21 years old, have a clean criminal record and clear ASP and FBI background checks every other year. The Arkansas School Safety Commission has recommended every school in the state of Arkansas needs to have an armed presence.The board also heard public comment about its new bus routes. The district said it was short about 75 bus drivers for the 2021-22 school year, and routes were canceled almost every single day.For the 2022-23 school year, the district is revamping the bus routes to help with shortages, but that now means some students live miles from the nearest bus stop.Brandon Cochran, a concerned parent who lives in a more rural part of the district near Sonora, expressed his concerns about the routes Tuesday."The kids that ride this bus are kindergarten through seventh grade. We’re not talking about middle school kids, high school kids, kids with cell phones, no. Kindergartners through seventh grade," he said. "My house is five miles from the bus stop. My kids used to be picked up at the mailbox in my front yard. For years, kids have been picked up in the front yard. I have a feeling that they were picked up in their front yard for safety reasons.” The meeting was adjourned Tuesday without any changes to the current routes.
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Springdale school board met Tuesday night and approved a program that creates positions for commissioned school security officers.
Eighteen officers will be hired to reach the goal of having an armed officer in every elementary school in the district.
"It's a 60-hour minimum training," Springdale Police Capt. Jeff Taylor said. "There's a yearly refresher course. It's a 24-hour course."
A commissioned school security officer, or CSSO, is a private security officer who has completed additional training and has been authorized by the Arkansas State Police to carry a firearm on the property of a public K-12 school.
"This would be an additional layer of protection to where we have someone who is fully trained, fully vetted, that will have the appropriate clothing on that will be full-time security at every elementary school," superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland said. "It's an investment that I feel is necessary in today's world."
In order to become a CSSO, a person must be at least 21 years old, have a clean criminal record and clear ASP and FBI background checks every other year.
The Arkansas School Safety Commission has recommended every school in the state of Arkansas needs to have an armed presence.
The board also heard public comment about its new bus routes.
The district said it was short about 75 bus drivers for the 2021-22 school year, and routes were canceled almost every single day.
For the 2022-23 school year, the district is revamping the bus routes to help with shortages, but that now means some students live miles from the nearest bus stop.
Brandon Cochran, a concerned parent who lives in a more rural part of the district near Sonora, expressed his concerns about the routes Tuesday.
"The kids that ride this bus are kindergarten through seventh grade. We’re not talking about middle school kids, high school kids, kids with cell phones, no. Kindergartners through seventh grade," he said. "My house is five miles from the bus stop. My kids used to be picked up at the mailbox in my front yard. For years, kids have been picked up in the front yard. I have a feeling that they were picked up in their front yard for safety reasons.”
The meeting was adjourned Tuesday without any changes to the current routes.
