The state House of Representatives is passing a bill compelling the Department of Education to reimburse school districts that take part in school sentinel training.
House Bill 1152 calls for $1,500 in reimbursement per school district employee who completes the training. A maximum of 30 school employees can complete the training in a year, equaling a potential maximum of $45,000 from the Department of Education.
Representative Kevin Jensen was a school board president when the state established the school sentinel program in 2013. He believes local pressure to spend money elsewhere bars districts from participating.
“I know there are school districts that would do this," he says on the House floor. "The training is incredibly intensive. Please don’t doubt the quality of the training and what the people would do and what they go through to pass this class. This isn’t just handing some teacher a gun. These people go through rigorous training.”
In the seven years since it began, 14 school employees have completed sentinel training.
Representative Jess Olson says employing school resource officers is a better option than training teachers and other school employees.
“But that takes an investment," she says. "And funding 30 individuals to be trained as sentinels to go through one class in the summer is not gonna meet the needs of most of the 180 school districts that we have.”
Other opponents say using state funds to reimburse districts makes participation in the training a matter of public record, which could put a target on districts that don’t participate.
The House passes the bill with 45 in favor and 25 opposed. It awaits committee assignment in the Senate.
