Rochester Public Schools beefing up security ahead of next school board meeting

In response to last week’s raucous school board meeting, Rochester Public Schools says it will be taking additional steps during the next meeting to ensure the safety and security of everyone present.

In a statement Friday, RPS spokesperson Heather Nessler said the district is working with local law enforcement regarding some of the concerns raised last Tuesday, when dozens of demonstrators interrupted the meeting with outbursts, heckling, and a reciting of the Lord’s Prayer.

Nessler declined to share additional details regarding’s the district’s plan to maintain order, citing a need to “protect the integrity of the plan.”

She did, however, share that the district will be making some adjustments to meeting procedures while also enforcing rules already on the books.

Among them: closing the entrance to the board room once the space reaches the fire code capacity; upholding its policy prohibiting the use of signs, banners, and posters; and enforcing its ban on weapons.

During the last meeting, one protester brought a firearm to the meeting, but was stopped without incident by a school resource officer.

“This is not new news, but it is worth pointing out,” Nessler said of the weapons ban, which covers all district property, including parking lots.

Nessler suggested the board may also take time Tuesday to ensure the public is familiar with meeting rules and protocols.

“I believe the school board will also be covering the time, place, and manner restrictions and procedures for public school board meetings and public comments to help better address some of the public discord,” she said.

What is on the agenda?

On Tuesday, the board is set to discuss rules for how the district wants to approach masking for the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Mask mandates were one of the main issues raised by demonstrators at the last meeting — and already organizers have started using social media platforms to encourage people to show up in big numbers next week.

One widely-shared post says the district “wants to mask kids for the school year," despite there being no formal recommendation on the table yet.

On Twitter, interim Superintendent Kent Pekel described the claim circulating online as “completely false” — noting “I have not said anything about the recommendation I will make about masks on Tuesday because I am still looking at data and talking to experts, parents, & educators.”

Pekel said recently he believes “most places around Minnesota … will be maskless at the secondary level since most of those kids are eligible for vaccination.” However, he said the “big question” will be what districts do with younger children who are not yet eligible for vaccination.

The next School Board meeting begins Tuesday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.