Burlington School District to remove police officers from schools

Nine months after the Burlington City Council first resolved to end the city’s use of in-school police officers, the Burlington School District is scaling back the program.

At a meeting Tuesday night, school board members approved the elimination of one of two in-school officer positions in the district and directed the remaining officer to be stationed at Burlington Police Department headquarters, rather than on school grounds.

Beginning in the fall, that officer will only visit schools during scheduled events — such as trainings and active-shooter drills — and without weapons or uniforms, barring an emergency.

The changes emerged from a 20-page report crafted by a district task force on the role of officers in schools. Drafted by the district’s director of equity, Henri Sparks, the report included nine other recommendations on student safety — including a new plan for use of restorative justice practices in schools and “rapid response intervention” teams to implement such practices.

“First and foremost, we need to listen to the voice of our students,” Sparks told commissioners on Tuesday. His priority, he said, was “meeting students’ needs where they are.”

“And I don’t believe that is a police matter,” he said.

Superintendent Tom Flanagan said Tuesday that the recommendations had his full support, calling the task force’s evaluation of the program a “community-driven process.”

“I believe that our district can act on these recommendations and should act on these recommendations,” he told the board.

School commissioners signed off on them unanimously, with Commissioner Martine Gulick abstaining.

The district will now draft a new memorandum of understanding with the police department, Flanagan said, which he has already discussed with Mayor Miro Weinberger and acting Police Chief Jon Murad.

Flanagan called those conversations “fruitful” and…