By Mary O’KEEFE

Tuesday’s Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board of education meeting was, for the most part, routine. There was a discussion on the budget, preparing for back to school and a change in the way grade levels are looked at for Daily High School. But then came a discussion on what was a consent item.

On the agenda, which was sent out 72 hours prior to the meeting, Consent Calendar item 26 stated: “Agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for Law 389 Enforcement Services. The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education approve a new agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services through a School Resource Deputy (SRD) at Rosemont Middle School and Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS).”

SRDs or SROs (school resource officer) are law enforcement officers who are assigned to middle and high schools in GUSD. Rosemont Middle and Crescenta Valley High schools are part of GUSD but are not located in the City of Glendale. They, along with Mountain Avenue, Monte Vista and La Crescenta elementary schools (also part of GUSD), are located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County/La Crescenta Montrose. The unincorporated area of La Crescenta Montrose is under the jurisdiction of the LA Sheriff’s Dept. The SRO/SRD is a deputy from the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Newly sworn-in board member Ingrid Gunnell requested that item 26 be taken from the Consent Calendar and placed into the Action Items, which it was. Moving this item then allowed a discussion on the subject of the SRO/SRD contract renewal.

In the past, discussions concerning school resource officers were usually well publicized with outreach for comment to teachers, staff, students and the community. Granted, these discussions do not happen often but, when they have, they have been a school community discussion. On Sunday, the Glendale Teachers Association contacted its members stating that Gunnell was asking for feedback concerning the SRO/SRD program. Teachers and staff with whom CVW spoke were surprised about the short notice of this important issue. There did not appear to be any outreach to parents or students.

CVHS Principal Christine Benitez, assistant principal Bill Estrada Gallimore, Rosemont Principal Suzanne Risse and several counselors and staff from CVHS spoke at the board meeting during public communication.

Benitez spoke in favor of approving the agreement between LASD and GUSD. She started out by praising the present SRD – Scott Shinagawa – who takes care of CVHS and Rosemont.

“He is an amazing role model for our students,” she said. “I want to speak about the position of the resource deputy. I see the school resource deputy as exactly that: as a resource for our students, our staff and our families.”

She added her view of the program is a way to bring the community together. There has been such division in our country over community policing it is more important than ever for students to have daily positive interaction with police, she said.

Benitez said the SRO/SRD had worked closely with school administration and the district. The SROs/SRDs participate in positive ways including watching over the students during protests to make certain no harm comes to the students.

CVHS counselor Janelle Evans also spoke at the meeting in response to the board’s request for comment from GTA members on the subject of the LASD contract renewal.

“While this is a sensitive topic, it needs to be fully discussed and all considerations taken prior to any decision that would alter the safety and support of our students and staff,” she said.

She then praised Dep. Shinagawa for his work with the students including reviving a student from an overdose and cradling the head of a student during a seizure and having a positive influence as a role model.

“He is the person you want protecting the mental and physical safety of your children,” she added.

She also said there have been positive acts by all five of the deputies who have served as SROs/SRDs over the years at CVHS and Rosemont, adding the SROs go “beyond what is most often portrayed in the media.”

During the discussion by board members, prior to the vote to accept the superintendent’s recommendation to approve the contract with LASD, Gunnell had a chance to explain why she wanted to discuss this subject.

“I personally cannot vote [for] or promote police on campus,” she said.

She added she had reached out to GTA and California School Employees Association (CSCA) for comment and received many emails. She thanked everyone, including those who spoke during communications at the meeting, for their respectful and informative comments.

“I feel that the community needs to have a [conversation] on the larger issue about police on campus,” she said.

She added that, according to NAACP, “modern day” policing was modeled after efforts to catch runaway enslaved Black people.

“We need to understand the [institutions] we are making contracts with,” she said.

She appreciated those who praised Dep. Shinagawa but added that the school district funds a position not a person. To note – those speaking during the communications time, as well as other board members, had addressed this issue stating that, as a whole, the history of SROs in GUSD has been positive.

Gunnell praised the SRO she remembered while attending Toll Middle School as having a positive influence.

GUSD board vice president Jennifer Freemon agreed there is a “space and time” to have a broader discussion on how the community interacts with law enforcement.

The vote in question though was specific about an SRO/SRD at CVHS and Rosemont. Freemon praised the SRO/SRD model over the years and stated it was an example for other districts on how to work with the community and law enforcement resources.

“It’s a relationship we have built over time,” she said.

She added the district does not want to see over-policing on campus but she felt the district has done a tremendous job of nurturing those relationships.

“It is not a happy accident. We did not just get lucky,” Freemon said.

The district has been very intentional about its relationship with law enforcement on campus.

“I am concerned we have created panic where there shouldn’t be,” Freemon said. “I got several emails … there is a lot of concern about what is happening to the [SRO] system we put into place.” She said many asked why “we are ripping the rug out from [under] folks.”

This was a concern shared by board President Nayiri Nahabedian.

“But I appreciate the discussion,” she said.

She added a week and a half before school started is not the time to “surprise” school staff members with changes in programs they are counting on.

When asked if there had been any negative reports or if anyone had reached out to her concerning issues with the SRO/SRD program within GUSD, Gunnell replied, “No.”

When asked if her comments about school policing were a personal philosophy and political position she responded, “Yes.”

“It is a multi-layer, complex topic,” said GUSD board clerk Shant Sahakian.

He added the district has taken a lot of time and has worked hard to create a safe place for students, which include mental health support and pedestrian safety, and SROs are a layer of that safety.

“There are communities where they have 20 SROs, 30 SROs on campus,” he said.

He felt that number was high and GUSD does not require those high numbers and has invested heavily on mental health support, with law enforcement being a very small fraction of the budget.

Freemon asked for a roll-call vote.

“If we are passionate about something I encourage my colleagues to vote,” she added.

Board members Freemon, Kathleen Cross, Sahakian and Nahabedian all voted in favor of approving the contract between GUSD and LASD. Gunnell abstained.

         Next week CVW will highlight the changes in the way grade levels are looked at for Daily High School.