MERIDIAN, Idaho — The West Ada School District is proposing major updates to its safety plan after a year-long review with local law enforcement.
According to the district's press release, the plan calls for two key additions across all 59 campuses: Campus Sentinels and wearable alert technology for staff.
“The one thing that keeps me up at night is the thought of a preventable tragedy happening on one of our campuses,” Superintendent Derek Bub said. “It’s my job to do everything in my power to ensure our students’ safety.”
The district is recommending hiring Campus Sentinels — POST-certified, current or retired law enforcement officers — to provide an added safety presence. Sentinels would be authorized to carry a concealed firearm on school property.
If approved by the Board of Trustees, Sentinels would work alongside school resource officers in what the district calls a layered safety model.
“We want to model these enhanced safety approaches appropriately, and we want to keep students safe,” Meridian Police Lt. Shawn Harper said.
The proposal also includes wearable alert badges for all staff. The devices allow employees to request help, trigger a lockdown, and send precise location information to safety teams and law enforcement.
The Board of Trustees will review the plan and hold the first reading of the Sentinel policy on Dec. 8. The district is collecting public input through an online survey.
