Duluth Public Schools and Marnita’s Table share Community Feedback on School Resource Officers and Safety in Schools

DULUTH, Minn. – Last May, the Duluth School district hired Marnita’s Table to conduct a participatory action research survey to better understand how the community feels about police officers in schools.

On Monday, the results of the survey were presented at Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theatre in front of a public audience. Over 500 people responded to the survey and results indicated that there is a growing fear of mistrust and lack of safety in schools.

A sample question from the survey was: Is there anything that makes you feel unsafe in your school community? With responses being 93% who said yes and 7% said no.

“We all have the need for significance and we all have the need for connection belonging and this project actually featured all of those things; that people really belonged in the conversation, they were welcome in the conversation. There were no voices that we, you know we had middle school students sit down and treat this seriously and I have a feeling that some of the young people actually were inspired to become leaders through this conversation,” Marnita’s Table CEO, Marnita Schroedl says.

After the event, attendees were welcome to discuss and share their thoughts on the results of the study over a free meal.