Results of Informational Armed Security Guard Survey
Last spring we sent out an information gathering survey to assess the pulse of our community with regard to an armed security guard in our buildings. We received 590 responses with some very thoughtful comments. Your school board has been continuously working with administration and staff to ensure that our facilities and students are safe. At our April board meeting it was suggested that we ask our community their thoughts. Thank you everyone who participated.
Results
Do you believe that an armed security guard will affect the culture of our schools? 34.1% Yes - In a negative way, 45% Yes - in a positive way, 20.8% No
Would you support the use of your taxes to fund an armed security guard? 60% yes, 40% no
If the resources were available would you rather allocate them towards? 44.1 - Armed Security Guard, 41.7% Counselors. 17.2% other
Should Beacon Avenue Elementary have an armed security Guard? 50% No, 50% Yes
Should Simpson Elementary have an armed security Guard? 47.4% No, 52%
Should the Jr. Sr. High School have an armed security Guard? 61% Yes, 39% No
Demographic Information 72.8% Parent/Guardian, 19.8% Student, 7.4% other
Examples of a few comments
I don’t believe that adding an armed guard to our schools teaches our children the proper way to deal with potential threats. I believe it teaches the children that the right way to deal with a threat is with more violence rather than trying to identify the cause of the issue and addressing it with a non-lethal approach. I believe more counseling for mental health issues would be a far more beneficial use of funds, trying to identify potential threats before they become threats makes more sense to me than to add an armed security officer. Having a guard with direct radio to the police would make more sense, we live in a small enough community that police response times should be minimal to get to any of our schools.
It is beneficial to have well trained armed security personnel working for the school district. It would provide safety, security, an immediate appropriate response to all types of potential emergencies.
An armed security guard would be a great deterrent to anyone wishing or contemplating harm to anyone. We need to realize this threat has increased with the high publicity of our very own media, movies, video games, etc. Our generation of device viewers have lost the ability to communicate with a humans. I don't see how a counselor will help.
I wish the questions wouldn’t have been for one or the other. We NEED more mental health help. But unfortunately in our current society we also need armed guards. Do I truly want that? No. But I’m also realistic and our country is suffering a huge mental health epidemic. To my own ears a armed guard sounds extreme. But if it can stop further School shootings then maybe it’s not that extreme.
Data does not support that this increases safety. Don't waste precious resources making our school climate worse while not increasing safety.
I would consider moving my son to another school if there were to be armed guards at the school.
If we’re talking a full time SRO from the police department for the school district. YES 100% in support. However I have an issue with what can be interpreted as armed SECURITY.