Iowa City schools consider future security measures in response to alleged threat

IOWA CITY, Iowa - School administrators are taking a strong look at safety procedures this week, including potentially adding school resource officers.

The district is weighing its options after parents expressed frustration with the response to an alleged threat from a student.

Tuesday night, the school board agreed that the district must report all threats, verified or unverified, to police. Administrators also said the district should send a message to parents as soon as possible.

In an email to parents earlier this week, West High School principal Greg Shoultz also said he's hoping to engage in a conversation with the school board about adding school resource officers.

'Several parents have been pushing for this (in the) this last week, and I've been speaking with them. They plan to lobby the board,” Shoultz said.

This isn't the first time this discussion has surfaced in Iowa City. A couple of years ago, the board voted down the idea of increasing security, citing a lack of community support. Shoultz said it's time to reconsider adding school resource officers.

'I do think that maybe the conversation may look different than it did in years past,” Shoultz said.

'I think people are seeing on the news, the violence that's occurring across the nation. We just had a recent event - a scare - this last week. I think parents are on edge, they don't want to see what's happening in other parts of the country happen here,” said Police Chief Sam Hargadine.

Iowa City police chief Sam Hargadine said if the community decides this is the right course of action, the department could work to find grant money to help fund the extra positions.

Shoultz believes this discussion about school resource officers will happen this school year.

'We want to have that conversation so people all feel comfortable, that a school resource officer would be somebody who would really help out our students and provide guidance for students. So, they would prevent things from happening rather than having to react afterwards, which is kind of the mode we are in now when things happen, that criminal behavior occurs, then we call the police afterwards. A school resource officer works with students ahead of time,” Shoultz said.

School board members Chris Lynch and Brian Kirschling said they are open to discussions about school resource officers, if those surface as they talk with the community about school security.

In the past, some have expressed concerns that juvenile arrest rates could increase with officers in the buildings.