As Madison schools’ safety and security committee considers recommendations, some want more time
The group tasked with recommending policy changes for Madison schools without police officers stationed there wants more time.
But it’s also approaching a deadline of sorts, as Madison Metropolitan School District staff soon will begin building the 2021-22 budget, which could include funding toward any of the Safety and Security Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations.
The 29-member committee held its latest meeting Thursday evening, where members discussed a policy proposal from Freedom Inc., the value of proactive versus reactive strategies and the importance of a multifaceted approach to student safety at school. It will meet again Dec. 10, initially expected to be its final meeting, but could continue to convene in the future based on members’ requests.
The School Board unanimously approved removing police officers from schools this summer amid a nationwide reckoning with police mistreatment of minorities. It was a sudden shift for a district that has had an officer stationed in each of its four comprehensive high schools for more than two decades, but one that came after years of activism from a group of local youth of color.
