The Rondout Valley Board of Education met on Wednesday, November 20, and discussed the possibility of hiring armed security guards for Kerhonkson and Marbletown elementary schools.

Rondout originally requested proposals on Oct. 16 for armed school resource officers (SROs) in the elementary schools, expanding a program that already exists in the district middle and high school. Atlas Security Services put in a proposal, and Scott Perry, an Atlas VP and retired NYPD sergeant, spoke to the board to give a “human face” to the proposal.

According to Perry, 90 percent of Atlas’ over 300 employees have worked in the Hudson Valley. All Atlas employees are retired law enforcement officers. They have worked at several other schools, such as Ulster BOCES, Washingtonville, and Eldred.

“They [security guards] had active shooter training, they had CPR and first aid training, de-escalation training,” Perry said. “Sometimes people think security is going to be not part of the community, and we definitely are… School security guards get more compliments than the rest of my guard force combined.”

The most controversial aspect of this proposal was the possibility of security guards holding guns. Perry stated that these weapons would be used as “a last resort.” He said they were necessary in the event of a shooting, but this did not ease the concerns of some community members.

“The one question that has not been covered is what data exists to suggest that putting lethal force in an elementary school has any success,” community member Seth Turner said. “There are over ten cases a year of armed guards or school resource officers leaving their weapons unattended in the presence of children…as a school administrator for 25 years [in Saugerties and Amagansett], I personally had to tell police to put the gun back in the holster, the incident didn’t require that level of response.”

Other community members, like Greg Schwarzenegger, supported the resolution. He is a father of two students and worked as a law enforcement officer for 15 years, including in “high crime” cities. He believes that the presence of armed guards who could respond to violence immediately ensures students are safe, and that threats can be dealt with swiftly.

“Typical criminal behavior is to target those who can’t defend themselves, and when someone is victimized or hurt, the first call is for someone who is capable of lawful violence,” Schwarzenegger said. “Our society protects banks, government buildings, train stations, concert venues, and places of worship with armed security. I think it’s time we protect our children with the same vigor.”

Some members of the Rondout community were concerned about discrimination against non-white and neurodivergent children, and suggested that other means of preventing violence, such as mental health support and community resources, are more effective.

“Have you considered that many of the concerns from parents about their child's safety involves situations of bullying and or harassment?” Courtney Capps, a parent of two students in Rondout Valley, asked. “Have you considered, instead of armed security guards or police officers, hiring additional staff that are more focused on supporting mental health and improving the social and emotional wellbeing of our students? Are you aware that there are certain members of our community who, because of their race, their identity or their disability, or because of previous experiences and or traumas feel less safe when there are police officers and armed security guards present?”

Capps handed written copies of her question to the board.

This debate continues as part of a broader national conversation about the presence of school resource officers, which has increased nationally over the past few years. Rondout Valley schools are remote enough, according to the superintendent’s office, that emergency response time could take up to 15 minutes.

Several studies have been conducted on the efficacy of SROs, with largely mixed conclusions. Most studies seem to agree that SROs decrease violence in school, but with the trade-off of increased student expulsions, truancy, and arrests. One study of four years of national data, conducted by SUNY Albany researchers, concluded that “SROs do effectively reduce some forms of violence in schools, but do not prevent school shootings or gun-related incidents.”

While Rondout Valley has not had a shooting incident, in February 2023, a violent threat was reportedly written in the middle school bathroom, and, in September, Rondout Valley schools were put on lockdown when a high school student brought a BB gun to school.

Board member Dawn Van Kleeck thanked residents for their feedback. The board hopes to have a decision in time for the next board meeting on December 10, but because of the sensitivity of the issue they may not reach a conclusion by that time.