July 17 meeting for input on police presence at GHS
The District is offering the Garfield community more opportunities to learn about and comment on the proposal to station a Seattle police officer on the school campus during 2025-26.
An engagement session is planned for 6-8 pm, July 17, in Garfield’s main building. It will be co-sponsored by the 100 Black Parents organization and The Seattle Medium newspaper, SPS officials have said.
Another option for input will occur at the school’s Aug. 16 “Reclaiming the Village” summit, which is primarily aimed at bringing together Garfield’s Black families for a resource fair and a variety of discussion and community-building sessions.
As of mid-June, the Seattle School Board had been expected to vote at its July 2 meeting on a measure amending security/safety policies to allow a 1-year pilot program of posting a city police officer at the school. However, Acting Superintendent Fred Podesta told the Board that the District sought a delay to:
- Add further Garfield input,
- Create with the Seattle Police Department a draft “memorandum of understanding” regarding the scope of the officer’s duties and other details, and
- Wait until after the Seattle City Council confirmed Shon Barnes as Police Chief. (That occurred on July 1.)
The School Board devoted about 50 minutes of the meeting to review of the proposed policy changes and pilot program (view it on YouTube), through which SPD would provide a “School Engagement Officer” (SEO), or as labeled in state law, “School Resource Officer” (SRO). Board members questioned Podesta, Principal Tarance Hart, and SPS Accountability Officer Ted Howard (a former GHS Principal).
Dr. Hart, who became Principal in 2021, noted that 2024-25 was his first year at Garfield with no gun violence.
“There are a number of factors that are improving safety at Garfield,” he told the School Board, citing the impact of organizations such as Community Passageways (whose staff were at the campus during lunchtimes and before/after school) and additional mental health services funded by the city.
He spoke forcefully in favor of the pilot program. “I want an opportunity to really engage our students … and get them as part of the design of what an SEO program looks like,” he added. “I think Garfield is the school to do that. We’ve had a history of having a successful SRO program.”
“Is this going to make an impact? Let’s figure it out,” Dr. Hart said. “Let’s pilot this to see if, in addition to the other resources that we have now, can this add another layer of safety.”
| Further background on the police plan |
The Board at its June 4, 2025, meeting had heard background on preparations for the pilot. Among the impact of the proposed policy changes would be the lifting of the SPS 5-year moratorium on this type of security arrangement.