‘These adults have failed you’: Parents boo as Northshore School Board removes police officers from Bothell High’s campus

Bothell High School will not continue having school resource officers on its campus.

The Northshore School Board has officially ended its school resource officer program, choosing not to renew its contract with the Bothell Police Department after a vote Monday evening.

When the vote to disband school resource officers was announced, several parents booed, calling the decision a “sham.” One parent voiced their displeasure with this decision.

“Very disappointing. I hope that people remember this when they vote next time we need a whole new school board,” the parent told KIRO 7. “I’m sorry kids, these adults have failed you.”

With no more school resource officers, the district will instead shift funding toward mental health support and other safety measures. The school board decision came after months of debate over safety, student well-being, and the role police should play on campus.

Former school resource officer defends role of police in schools: ‘Mentors not drill sergeants’

Last October, the Seattle Public Schools Board decided not to reinstate a campus police officer at Garfield High School after a vote on Wednesday evening. The board meeting lasted approximately two hours and ended with a 5-2 vote against allowing police officers to return to Garfield’s campus in Seattle’s Central District.

Sergeant Mark Satterfield, KIRO host Gee Scott’s former military school resource officer, emphasized the need for resource officers in schools, noting they can serve as mentors and build relationships with students.

“[Officers] are there for the kids, and when the kids need to talk to somebody, they can go talk to them,” Satterfield said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “They’re not trying to be drill sergeants; they’re there to mentor the kids, and they add that security factor to it. To me, it’s better to have than not.

“Building relationships, giving them somebody to talk to when they have problems, letting them know there’s no such thing as a bad student, being that positive mentor, that’s the biggest thing that they do,” Satterfield continued.

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