The possibility of arming the Little Rock School District's security guards will be a topic of discussion at today's 5:30 p.m. regular monthly meeting of the district's Community Advisory Board.
The state-appointed board serves as an intermediary between Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key and residents of the school system. The district has operated under state control since January 2015.
The advisory board's role is to make recommendations to Key on employee and student matters and on district operations. Key acts as the school board for the district.
Twenty minutes on the advisory board's agenda is reserved for a "Security Overview," to be presented by Superintendent Mike Poore, along with Ron Self, who is the the district's director of safety and security; Pamela Smith, director of communications; and Eric Walker, a staff attorney.
No supporting materials containing details accompanied the agenda item on security as of Wednesday afternoon.
However, Poore said earlier this month that arming a part of the district's security team was being considered in the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting deaths of 17 students and adults by an armed intruder at a Parkland, Fla., high school.
Poore said the proposal would likely go to Key within weeks. At the time, district leaders were in the midst of developing possible guidelines and the types of weapons that might be carried, Smith said.
The Little Rock district has 79 security officers, Self said in mid-March.
Sixty-seven are assigned to the middle and high schools. Of that number, 21 are school resource officers -- armed Little Rock police. Another 46 security officers are district-employed guards at the secondary schools.
Twelve of the 79 security officers patrol four zones covering the 32 elementaries and early childhood academies.
The district's early plan called for arming "select members" of that 12-member unit with guns and "nonlethal" weapons that were yet to be decided, Self said. Those guards are not currently armed with any weapons. State law does allow for the conditional arming of school system employees.
Smith said that any additional responsibilities assigned to the security guards would be supported with additional training.
Also on the Community Advisory Board's agenda is an update on the district's use of alternative methods of instruction plans that were used this school year on days in which schools were closed because of inclement weather.
The advisory board, which allows members of the public to address it during a public comment period, meets at the school district's headquarters, 810 W. Markham St.
Members of the advisory board are Maria Chavarria-Garcia Lupita, Melanie Fox, Larry Clark and Anthony Hampton. Member Jeff Wood is the chairman of the group that has two vacancies.
Information for this article was contributed by Aziza Musa of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 03/29/2018