BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The Burlington School District is reducing its number of law enforcement officers, known as school resource officers, from two to one.
The school board approved changes this week to eliminate one position and to no longer have the remaining officer stationed on school grounds, mychamplainvalley.com reported.
“Students have told us they don’t feel comfortable with police officers in the building,” Superintendent Tom Flanagan said. “They don’t feel comfortable with armed police officers inside the building.”
The district’s school resource officer will make scheduled visits to the schools and only be on hand for drills or other safety projects, Flanagan said. The move supports a national conversation about changing policing in schools, he said, according to the news station.
“The work that we really want to shift to is the work of restoration and providing emotional and social support and mental health and well being,” the superintendent said.
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