District strengthens layered approach to school safety amid ongoing safety audit
Moorhead Area Public Schools (MAPS) and the Moorhead Police Department (MPD) announced today that Officer Jutting will join the district’s School Resource Officer (SRO) team beginning next week. Officer Jutting will be based at the Moorhead High School Career Academy, providing an additional safety resource for students and staff across the district.
“We are grateful for our strong partnership with the Moorhead Police Department and are pleased to welcome Officer Jutting as an added member of our safety team,” said Superintendent Brandon Lunak. “This addition strengthens our layered approach to school safety and supports the positive relationships that are so important in our schools.”
MPD leadership shared their enthusiasm for the expanded collaboration. “This is an important step for us and we’re excited to assign Officer Jutting to the Career Academy,” said Police Chief Chris Helmick. “We appreciate the ongoing teamwork at all MAPS buildings and look forward to continuing our shared commitment to safe, supportive school environments.”
Aligned With District Wide Safety Work
The addition of an SRO comes as MAPS is completing a comprehensive Safety & Security Audit conducted in partnership with Zeal Education Group, a national school safety consulting firm. The audit’s scope included on-site evaluations, reviews of building access and procedures, collaboration with law enforcement and Building Emergency Response Teams (BERT) and surveys gathering perceptions of safety from staff and families.
MAPS has now received the full audit report and is in the process of reviewing the findings and planning next steps. That work will continue through January as the district prepares to identify priority recommendations, develop timelines and coordinate resources for implementation.
The district expects to share the audit report and its initial response with the School Board on January 26. Following that presentation, MAPS will communicate additional information to staff, families and the community, including a roadmap for safety enhancements.
“Our promise is to be transparent about both the immediate steps we take and the long-term commitments ahead,” said Lunak. “Adding an additional SRO is one important step, and the audit findings will guide continued improvements across our schools.”