Schools focus on safety

Sisters schools are considered safe - and school officials and law enforcement officers are taking a hard line to ensure they stay that way.

"We've taken a definite zero-tolerance stance on threats of violence or physical harm,"said Deschutes County Sheriff's Deputy Scott Shelton.

Deputy Shelton is assigned as the "school resource deputy"in Sisters and he will intervene quickly in student discipline if violence or threats are involved.

"If it's a criminal action (school administrators) are going to involve me right away,"Shelton said.

Parents might be surprised at what constitutes a "criminal act."A punch can be considered an assault; hazing or picking on a student could be deemed harassment.

There is "officer discretion"built into the system, according to Shelton, and he emphasized that not every shove in the hall rises to the level of an assault and not every problem between students is harassment.

"If a teacher or administrator sees there's tension and friction between kids, we'll pull those kids in ahead of time,"Shelton said. "A lot of times I can defuse a situation by working on some anger management skills, some people skills."

Threats of violence or indications that a student has a weapon will bring a swift crackdown, however.

"I take those very seriously and I don't really have a choice on that one,"Shelton said.

Shelton arrested an 11-year-old Sisters Elementary School student on a menacing charge last April 23, after the student threatened to "return to school with my ... .22 and take care of"some students who were teasing him. Two other students were cited in connection with the harassment.

That same day, a middle school student was suspended from school for intimating that he had a gun in his backpack. School officials searched the backpack and found no weapon.

Shelton acknowledged concerns about creating a poisoned atmosphere where students "snitch"on each other as a means to hurt those they don't like.

According to Shelton, there is a fine balance to be struck. He said it is important that students believe adults are approachable and trustworthy. Genuine concerns about a student's words or behavior must be taken seriously, he indicated.

However, deliberate, malicious false reports will be treated as crimes, Shelton noted. If someone lies to get another student in trouble, Shelton said, "if I can find a way to arrest them, I will."

The focus on student safety in the schools jumped into prominence after the school shooting in Springfield, Oregon, over a year ago.

A "Safe Schools Alliance"was created in Deschutes County, comprised of school district officials, law enforcement, the district attorney's office and various youth corrections and mental health agencies.

While the focus on safe schools is more intense than it has ever been, Shelton considers Sisters schools to be a good place to send a child.

"I brought my kid over here,"Shelton noted. "There's a good climate in the schools.

"I would say this school (district) is more proactive than any school (district) I've seen,"Shelton said. "It's pro-active and pro-kid, period. It's a safe, good learning environment."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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