The Montezuma-Cortez District Re-1 school board on Tuesday heard a safety report from Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin.

According to Superintendent Lori Haukeness, Nowlin reported that he will be stationing a school resource officer at Lewis-Arriola Elementary School next year. In addition, Battle Rock charter school will receive “some support” from the Sheriff’s Office.

The decision to appoint an SRO officer to Lewis-Arriola Elementary School follows discussions about school security in the wake of the Dec. 7 shooting inside Aztec High School.

The Re-1 School District’s safety team met Dec. 14 at Cortez Middle School with parents, teachers and administrators to discuss its plans for a potential disaster.

The district’s safety meeting came a week after two students were killed Dec. 7 when a gunman disguised as a student opened fire inside. Authorities say 21-year-old William Atchison, who also died, planned the attack.

Jamie Haukeness, safety coordinator for the district, showed a video from a shooting at Platte Canyon High School in 2006 at the Dec. 14 meeting.

Re-1 uses the protocol as a standard for its own safety plan, though it is subject to change to fit the needs of the district.

“Our emergency operation plan is a living document,” Haukeness said.

Re-1 teachers have a condensed version of the plan so they know the action steps to take.

At the Dec. 14 meeting and several subsequent school board meetings, safety was at the forefront of the minds of parents and community members.

Discussion was had about arming teachers and staff, but the district decided against the measures.

Instead, each classroom in the district is now equipped with a radio that connects directly to 911 if needed and cameras and intercom systems have been installed at Lewis Arriola and Pleasant View Schools.

In a special session before the regular board meeting on June 12, Haukeness said the board interviewed candidates for the open seat in District D left by Josiah Forkner’s resignation.

Haukeness also told The Journal in a phone interview that the board “debriefed” from their community meeting about a 2018 mill levy.

The Montezuma-Cortez District Re-1 school board will not have a meeting in the month of July.