Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero released the second draft of his safety plan Friday after spending the past three weeks gathering community feedback.

“Our community differs on the approaches, processes and strategies, but it is clear that we all want to help ensure that we keep our kids safe,” Marrero said in a press release. “And a safe school is paramount to the success of our students.”

The highlights, according to an executive summary provided in advance of releasing the full report, include the following:

? Having received community input blasting Marrero’s recommendation to make site-based decisions on whether to place armed police officers on a campus, the superintendent has pivoted to a “district-wide” decision for all comprehensive high schools and those grades 6-12.

? His weapons detection recommendation, which also received mixed opinions, will remain a site-based decision for each campus.

? The discipline matrix, which is used to address problematic student behavior, will also be tweaked in partnership with the Harvard Public Education Leadership Project team.

This version of Marrero’s safety plan also includes annual training.

The district’s proposed budget for the upcoming school year has earmarked $9 million to address safety issues identified in Marrero’s comprehensive plan.

Paul Ballenger, a security consultant, said at a recent press conference held by the Parents-Safety Advocacy Group that $9 million isn’t nearly enough.

The parents group formed shortly after the March 22 shooting and has held weekly press conferences outside East High School. 

“That’s not a number that is set in stone,” said Scott Pribble, a DPS spokesperson. “I think there’s some room that that could increase.”

Marrero’s final draft will reflect any necessary budget increases to support his recommendations, Pribble said.

Parents and safety advocates, while acknowledging no silver bullet exists, have also suggested that reworking the discipline matrix is the single most effective approach the district could do to protect its nearly 90,000 students.

Teachers and administrators rely on the discipline matrix to decide when law enforcement should be called or whether certain behaviors – such as bringing a firearm onto campus – should be referred to an expulsion hearing.

The DPS Board of Education called for a comprehensive safety plan after two administrators were shot on March 22 while trying to conduct a security screen.

The board also temporarily approved the return of school resource officers to the district’s comprehensive high schools. SROs were removed from campus in the wake of national protests over policing in 2020.

Marrero’s first draft – a 48-page plan that outlined many of the things the district is already doing – discussed a long-term approach to SROs and installing a “weapons detection” system at schools.

In both instances, Marrero recommended the decision be left to individual schools.

The initial draft plan drew swift criticism for its lack of clarity on which measures were new.

Critics of the first plan have also said that sloughing the decision off to already overburdened school administrators was unacceptable.

While Marrero was tasked with creating a comprehensive safety plan within 14 weeks – swift for a public entity by any measure – this is not the first time the board had directed the superintendent to do so.

The board first directed in Marrero with developing and maintaining a safe schools plan 18 months ago.

Members of the Superintendent Advisory Council is scheduled to provide Marrero feedback on June 9. A community survey seeking input on the draft changes is expected to be scheduled soon.

A final version is expected June 26.