Phoenix Union High School District revisiting campus security, hosting talks with public

PHOENIX – A Valley school district that eliminated campus resource officers is again asking for community input on the role of police at school.

The Phoenix Union High School District has scheduled a pair of two-hour sessions Saturday, one starting at 9 a.m. and the other at 4 p.m., at Carl Hayden High School, near 35th Avenue and Roosevelt Street.

The district, which oversees 23 schools, eliminated Phoenix police from their roles as resource officers starting in 2021, but said what they hear at the listening sessions will help guide the work of the student safety committee.

The group will provide law enforcement usage recommendations to the governing board at a later date.

“We want to hear from our students, their families, our staff and our community to let us know what safety means to them in their school, work and our community,” Katie Gipson McLean, chair of the high school district’s student safety committee, said in a press release last Friday.

Attendees are encouraged to register online or participate virtually, which also requires registration.

Phoenix Union announced in the summer of 2020 that it would not re-up with the city for resource officer staffing. The subsequent savings of $1.2 million was going toward training and development of school safety teams, according to Superintendent Chad Gestson at the time.

The committee consists of one student and one parent from the district’s three regions, as well as educational support professionals, certified staff, administrative staff, representatives from community partners, and representatives appointed by PXU governing board members, the safety committee website said.

Translation services will be available at each meeting.

Another session is set for March 4 at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Central High School, near Central Avenue and Indian School Road.

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