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Updated JCPS school safety plan includes new administrator role, 'extensive training'

Dr. Marty Pollio said he will host sessions through January before presenting the plan to the school board in February.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After months of discussion about safety in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said he expects to present a new safety plan next year. The superintendent made the announcement during Tuesday's JCPS board meeting.

“Student safety is paramount and our commitment to that has not changed,” he said.

Pollio said the district is looking to add a safety administrator to every middle and high school in JCPS. The person in this role would be focused on taking "proactive" steps to protect the safety of students and staff.

The superintendent said specific duties of the safety administrator include providing positive support for students, handling social media threats and conducting threat assessments of students.

RELATED: LMPD: Two JCPS students arrested in Tyree Smith bus stop shooting

Secondly, Pollio said the district is reimagining the role of officers in JCPS schools.

"Our goal is to provide enhanced training to our current district security monitors that would have them armed and serving clusters of schools in geographic areas while being outside of the schools covering that geographic area," Dr. Pollio said. 

He added that these monitors would not be in the school building all day, but would be nearby to respond to incidents as they arise. Pollio said the updated roles for school officers would meet the requirements of statewide school safety laws passed in 2019.

Before presenting the plan to the board, Pollio said he plans to get feedback from members of the community, students and JCPS community partners to create the best possible plan. 

He said public community feedback sessions will be held during the month of January and additional details on those sessions will be available soon.

Pollio said he is hoping to present the plan to the school board in February.

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