UPDATE: 

We are facing a growing concern for the safety of our children in the Vail School District. After an alarming incident where a child previously brought a loaded handgun to school, and again today when two students at Cienega High School were arrested after a weapon was discovered on campus, it has become blatantly clear that the current safety measures are insufficient. These repeated incidents are evidence that our children’s safety must take precedence over the district’s image.

We request that the school district place full-time School Resource Officers (SROs) at each school. Research demonstrates that the presence of SROs can improve school safety by reducing certain types of serious violent incidents and by ensuring faster detection of threats. A large-scale study analyzing nearly 95,000 U.S. schools found that schools with SROs had 30 percent fewer non-firearm violent incidents such as fights and threats, while also reporting increased firearm-related offenses due to more effective detection of weapons rather than higher rates of possession (Sorensen et al., 2023; RAND Corporation). Additional National Institute of Justice-funded studies show that while SROs do not always impact traditional discipline measures like suspensions, they do play an important role in identifying and addressing weapon and drug-related activity on campuses (OJP.gov, 2020). In Tennessee, the implementation of SROs in high schools was associated with a decrease in overall suspension rates, especially for Black students, indicating that effective SRO programs can also reduce disparities in discipline (OJP.gov, 2020).

Ignoring this issue not only places our children’s physical safety at risk but also affects their emotional health and ability to learn. Students cannot succeed academically if they feel unsafe in their classrooms and hallways. The events at Cienega High School today, coupled with prior incidents in the district, show that these are not isolated problems. They highlight an urgent and ongoing need for a stronger, proactive safety presence at every school.

We urge the district to prioritize the safety of our children by employing full-time School Resource Officers as a permanent measure. This is not only a matter of preventing potential tragedies but also of ensuring that our children can focus on learning in a secure environment. Please sign this petition to show your support for this initiative to protect the safety, security, and future of our children.

We are facing a growing concern for the safety of our children in the Vail School District. After an alarming incident where a child brought a loaded handgun to school, it has become blatantly clear that the current safety measures are insufficient. Our children's safety must take precedence over the district's image.

We request that the school district place full-time resource officers at each school. In the United States, research suggests that having a school resource officer presence reduces crime rates and improves the educational environment (National Institute of Justice). Along with resource officers, installing metal detectors can act as a further deterrent against bringing weapons to school.

Ignoring this issue not only puts our children's physical well-being at risk, but also disrupts their emotional health and ability to learn. If our children can't feel safe at school, their educational success is at stake. Therefore, we urge the district to prioritize our children's safety by employing full-time resource officers and installing metal detectors as permanent fixtures in our schools. Please sign this petition to show your support for this imperative initiative to protect the safety, security, and future of our children.