JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Two months after a Jefferson County Public Schools employee was fired due to a child porn investigation, the district on Thursday night gave an update on new safety policies at a board of education meeting.
During public comment, a representative from the Jeffco Education Support Professionals Association, an educators union, shared their views on how safety training for staff needed to improve.
“JESPA members should never have to guess how to respond to high-stakes situations and we need clear policy and comprehensive training and real accountability to ensure we’re protecting both staff and students,” they said.
The Board of Education later heard in a budget report that a survey of parents in the district showed an overwhelming 73% support for funding the school resource officer program, calling it “very important.”
Shortly afterward, a committee presented to the board what changes to the safety policy were coming. In the near term, described as the next three months, they say child safety advisors will be consulted to review existing policies.
“We are also conducting a review of our current background check process and extra evaluation will be conducted of it,” they said.
Part of the presentation was from a member of Ralston House, a nonprofit agency that aids in child abuse investigation and victim recovery. Helping aid in the policy changes, they say an important part of safety is how staff react to children reporting inappropriate behavior.
“It doesn’t mean if I miss something it’s my fault,” a representative of Ralston House said. “It’s still the perpetrator’s fault, but we can learn from it and make it safer for the next child that walks through the door.”
Some of the additional changes include buying a new management system to electronically vet guests at the schools, creating a partnership to expand sexual misconduct training and exploring technology that could improve school safety.
