Douglas County Commissioners Vote to Redirect $10 Million for Public School Safety Following STEM School Shooting

Douglas County Commissioners Vote to Redirect $10 Million for Public School Safety Following STEM School Shooting

Following last week’s shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, which left one student dead and eight injured, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to redirect $10 million toward public school safety and potentially more mental health services.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • May 15, 2019

Following last week’s shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, which left one student dead and eight injured, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to redirect $10 million toward public school safety and potentially more mental health services.

The $10 million would come from the county’s general fund and reserves. The funds will be used for increased school security and mental health resources for students in the Douglas County School District.

“I am very pleased that we have the school board here, I have been working closely with Superintendent [Thomas] Tucker to start working with him on how we would make Douglas County Schools safe and do it together,” Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said.

According to Spurlock, it’s recommended that there is one school resource officer per 1,000 students, but there is currently one SRO covering more than 3,000 students between two campuses in Highland Ranch. He said it is time to take a closer look at the size of the district and what it needs to do in terms of safety.

The Board of Douglas County Commissioners will meet again on May 28 to discuss how the $10 million will be spent.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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