Jefferson School District talks about safety measures, student programs 7 months after shooting

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) - Seven months after a shooting at Rigby Middle School, Jefferson School District 251 has implemented, or expanded, safety procedures and student support programs in all their schools.

School and district officials sat down to talk about what's changed.

Richard Howard, the Principal at Rigby Middle School, says that every threat they get is considered real and valid, until proven otherwise.

"So anytime we get a threat, the first thing we do is try to verify it. And if there is a threat, we involve our to our school resource officer because it could be a legal issue automatically," Howard said. "So we will interview students and depending upon what happens there and what we can find out if the threat is a serious threat or if it's a real threat, then yes, then there's a chance, that probably more than likely the student will be charged."

The student will also face school discipline, which can range from suspension to expulsion, but it depends on the student when it comes to punishment.

However, as Superintendent Chad Martin says, they take threats very seriously.

"I think it needs to be very clear that we take those very seriously and we have and we will continue to take those to the board for expulsion," Martin said. "Take them to law enforcement and prosecute to the fullest extent that we're capable of doing because we need our kids to feel safe at school and we're doing everything we can... but ultimately it comes down to those choices our students make. And unfortunately, when they make poor choices that affect other students, they have dire consequences for them."

Martin says there are also some changes coming that they're excited about.

"We're partnering with a company called Qal-tek out of Idaho Falls, and they do a lot of safety and security for government buildings," Martin said. "It comes into our schools and does a safety analysis from not only from the physical perspective but also with how we interact with kids. And really is what it is, is developing an assessment for teachers and administrators to be able to quickly assess if a student could be a threat."

The district has also started several new programs for students says district student safety coordinator Whitney Wagoner.

"One of our newest things, our new program is called SOAR. And it stands for strength, opportunities, aspirations, and results," Wagoner said. "We have it running at both middle schools for 30 minutes on Wednesdays. It's kind of like an advisory. And really, we're just trying to help kids with skills that they're going to need in everyday life, whether that be empathy, compassion."

Wagoner also organized a kindness club at RMS and said the club will be having a kindness competition with the other middle school in the district, Farnsworth Middle School.

They also started an ambassadors club, which is about students becoming leaders Wagoner says.

"And what I love about that club is it is open to everybody. It's not inclusive by any means, and it's just really a great way for kids to have these leadership skills and to help support one another," Wagoner said.

The Hope Squad also started this year, as well as the newest organization called FOUR.

"It stands for finding our unique reason," Wagoner said. "And it was started by a group of high school students at our high school and their amazing teacher, Mrs. Pappas. They came over and gave a whole presentation to a group of our student body, and they're going to be doing listening letters. So it's very much a mentor-mentee relationship among the schools."

Wagoner also says the biggest thing they're working on right now is communication.

"We've started a weekly message at both middle schools and honestly, I think it's the best way to communicate with parents right now and through Facebook," Wagoner said.

The school district also made their Stop it App available district-wide.

"Parents can even use it. And it's really for kids to report anything from bullying to harassment," Wagoner said. "So it's been a great way for us to communicate because you can communicate in real-time with kids at any time of the day. I've messaged kids at 10:00 at night, and so it's a great way for them to be heard. So that they know that they are safe coming to school the next day, that someone immediately knows what's going on in their lives."

Howard explains that it's an app parents and students can use anonymously to report something.

"It gives us an opportunity to go to those witnesses or whatever and interview them and talk to them," Howard said. "The nice part about it like Miss Wagoner said, is it's real-time. So there have been times at 10, 10:30, 11:00 my phone will buzz or something and I can respond or I've seen her respond or Mr. Erickson (the vice principal at RMS) respond. And that's what it is, and you text them back, they can text you, we can ask for more information. We don't pry into, you know, give us your name. That's not what it's for. There will be times to ask, 'hey, if you would like to, would you come visit with us?' And that would be appropriate for them also. But again, it's on the students' terms."

Sherry Simmons, the director of secondary education, Howard, Ryan Erikson, the vice principal at RMS, and Wagoner all receive the alerts.

"And one of the things with how we can actually assign whatever we need to to a counselor," Howard explains. "So it can be that 'I saw somebody having a bad day'. They'll report that to us so we can assign that to a counselor, and the counselor will then talk to that student. So the student doesn't need to come down to talk to us as administrators. If it's an emotional issue or something like that, they can go straight to the counselor now."

Howard, Martin, and Wagoner all say that students have been using it the correct way, and has helped students feel more comfortable reporting situations.

"When we first rolled this out two or three years ago, we got just random thoughts from middle schoolers," Howard said. "I saw so-and-so in the hall and they were laughing at somebody else because they told a funny joke. The ones we're getting now? They're actually ones that are pretty good. We haven't gotten anything that would've been off the wall or not valid. So it's really it's been a good thing for us."

"I want to celebrate our kids for using the stop it truthfully because it is the appropriate, effective and responsible way of reporting things to us," Wagoner said. "Social media is not the way, and unfortunately that's the world we live in. But I really believe that our kids are amazing in this district and our teachers are incredible. And I feel like we as a community are trying to heal and trying to do all these things to make us stronger together. And I can't begin to tell you how amazing this group, a group of people are. Their doors are always open, so I hope that everybody knows that, that they're more than willing to help out other districts and to support communities surrounding us in our own."

Howard also says students are looking out for each other more.

"This has been an amazing thing the last few months is that students will now come down to our office and say, 'I saw somebody look sad today or I saw somebody that just something wasn't quite right.'," Howard said. "They're bringing those to us now, whether it's before it was just like, 'Oh, somebody is having a bad day' and they just go about their business. Students are recognizing other students that they have issues and problems, and they're bringing them to us."