FAIRFIELD — The 2018-19 Solano County grand jury expressed concerns about the safety at the Fairfield-Suisun School District’s three traditional high school campuses, noting two incidents it called “tragic and harrowing experiences for the schools and the community.”
It recommends that the district annually assess whether upgrades or additional security cameras are necessary, and to assess and prioritize the mental health needs of the students on an ongoing basis.
“The Solano County civil grand jury is concerned about school safety in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District’s three high schools. All of the high schools have the state-required Comprehensive Safe School Plan (CSSP) to follow in any event dealing with safety issues,” the report summary states. “It is the required document that addresses school safety procedures in emergency situations. Additional concerns at the sites include the role of security cameras and the impact of student mental health issues on school safety.”
District officials are reviewing the report and recommendations.
“We are in the process of writing our response to the grand jury,” said Tim Goree, executive director of Administrative Services and Community Engagement.
He said there was nothing in the report that seemed alarming.
“My sense, as I’m starting to talk to people, is we are already doing some of this,” said Goree, meaning addressing or implementing some of the issues mentioned in the report’s recommendations.
The comments were released Thursday in a seven-page report. It was one of two reports released. The other was an analysis on the potential for conflicts of interest in Fairfield. The reports are dated May 21.
The grand jury report on the Fairfield-Suisun School District references the Aug. 24 shooting that occurred near Armijo High School.
“This incident resulted in the death of a high school student. The situation became a school safety issue when the suspected shooter ran from the primary scene of the shooting and climbed a perimeter fence onto the high school grounds,” the report states. “Once the suspected shooter got onto school property, he was able to mingle with a crowd of students that were attending a football game. He later joined a different group of students in the gymnasium.”
The report credits the school administration’s quick response by locking down the campus and to implement provisions of the Comprehensive Safe School Plan. Students were ushered into the gymnasium, which was followed by a person-to-person evacuation.
The suspect was ultimately identified and arrested, the report notes.
The report also references the Nov. 8 incident in which the police responded to an initial report of a student with a semi-automatic handgun near Fairfield High School. It was later determined to be a BB gun.
“The student was expelled as a result of his actions,” the report states.
Grand jury members toured the campuses in October and November, investigations that led to a pair of findings and recommendations.
The first finding in the report states, “Security cameras play a critical role in safety at the three high schools by recording and monitoring student activity throughout the campus.”
The recommendation is to “Conduct annual evaluations to determine if more cameras or upgrades are needed to provide surveillance of all critical areas on campus.”
The second finding was: “The mental health issue is a crisis that needs immediate attention. Schools currently have limited capacity to address these issues. Schools utilize their resources to employ more staff to increase academic results. School staff have seen their responsibilities shift away from the overall personal, social and emotional development of each student towards an academic focus, which creates a widening gap in support services like mental health.”
The grand jury recommended that the district “Assess and prioritize mental health issues on a continual basis to address the mental health needs of the students. Allocate resources to focus on mental health concerns. Provide staff training to promote a greater awareness of student mental health issues and techniques to address the problems that exist.”
The principals at Armijo, Fairfield and Rodriguez high schools have 60 to 90 days to respond to the grand jury report.
May 23, 2019
Fairfield Daily Republic
By Todd R. Hansen
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