District News

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- The Grand Rapids Public Schools will hold a school safety community forum to discuss opportunities to improve the ways we protect the children we serve.

The GRPS School Safety Community Forum will be held on Saturday, May 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will be held at GRPS University located at 1400 Fuller Ave. NE.

The event is aimed at bringing the community together to discuss school safety challenges today and opportunities to improve the ways we safeguard our scholars in the future.

There will be opportunities for the community to weigh in on new investments for technology and equipment. 

Planning for this meeting was already underway, but recent incidents where guns have been confiscated from young children in our schools have underscored the need for this conversation.

"Our world is changing rapidly, and we owe it to our children to protect them in the best ways possible while they're in our care," said GRPS Chief of Staff and Executive Director of School Safety Larry Johnson. "We don't have all the answers, but we know when we put our collective minds together, we can continue to lead when it comes to keeping our scholars safe."

Mr. Johnson will lead the conversation alongside school safety expert Jason Russell, the founder and president of Secured Education Consultants.

School and community leaders will be on hand to listen to the voice of the community on this important topic.