EVERGREEN, Colo. — Nearly a month after a shooting at Evergreen High School, parents and students are frustrated, claiming that changes have not been made to improve safety.
During a Board of Education meeting Wednesday, leaders with Jeffco Public Schools said safety plans are moving forward, but acknowledged those frustrations from the community.
“The messages, the public comment that I have heard is the parents hear the communication from the district and intrinsically know that things are happening, but they don’t see it. And a lot of the kids feel like nothing has changed because they’re not seeing it,” said Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education Member Michelle Applegate. “Pointing it out will be helpful.”
- Watch Wednesday's full meeting below
Some of the changes already in place include the addition of an R-1 security officer, a full-time school resource officer (SRO), and five campus supervisors. Denver7 noticed their campus presence while working on this report and spotted their vehicles parked right in front of the high school.
‘We have been getting regular updates on what to expect for the students the next day at school,” said parent Sonya Sava.
Despite the concerns brought up Wednesday, Sava told Denver7 she trusts the safety plans laid out so far.
“I feel strong that the students are going to be in a good place,” she said.
More changes are on the way, starting next week. Denver7 has learned the district plans to implement a K9 firearm detection program at the high school. The administration will also be checking student and staff badges at the door.
Superintendent Tracy Dorland addressed the challenges in rolling out safety plans during Wednesday night’s meeting while thanking families for their patience.
“We’ve worked hard to get some things in place and try to be as responsive as we can while also making sure when we put something in place that is done so in a responsible way where everybody understands why we’re doing it and how we’re doing it,” she said.
Denver7 reached out to the school's Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), which has been pushing for safety changes since before the tragedy. The group said it is in the process of healing, working with the community, and no longer doing media interviews for the time being.
