A divided Denver school board on Thursday reversed its 2020 policy prohibiting armed police on campuses, paving the way for officers’ long-term return in a move that capped months of debate over how to respond to the shooting inside East High School.
The seven-member board was split in its decision, voting 4-3 to reinstate school resource officers, or SROs, at Denver Public Schools following the temporary suspension of its ban earlier this spring.
In doing so, Colorado’s largest school district has joined a handful of others across the United States in rolling back policies enacted amid the national racial reckoning that occurred three years ago after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
The policy adopted on Thursday supersedes the board’s 2020 resolution and directs Superintendent Alex Marrero to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Denver Police Department regarding the presence of officers on both district-run and charter school campuses.
Members who voted in favor of the new policy said it was not an easy decision, but they’ve heard from people in the community, including principals, who wanted officers to return to schools.
Read the full story from our partners at The Denver Post.
