Welcome to the Bruneau-Grand View!
At Bruneau-Grand View Joint School District, we want to see “Every Child Learning.” Located in the southwestern corner of Idaho, our small, tight-knit community is dedicated to the success of every child. Involved parents, caring citizens, and high-achieving students are just a few of the ingredients in our recipe to success.
We welcome you to our online home, where you can learn more about our exceptional schools, our student athletics programs, and all the special events that make our district stand out from the rest. We welcome community and parent involvement. Find out how you can help!
Letter from The Superintendent
School Resource Officer (SRO) – In July, the Idaho SDE posted a grant opportunity to all public schools to apply for a 3-year SRO grant. I contacted Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick and asked if he would have the personnel to be able to partner with us in applying for the grant. Sheriff Kendrick was supportive and excited for the opportunity. We put together the grant and submitted it in July, then in mid-September we were notified we were one of 27 school districts in Idaho that received the grant. Our award is for a full time SRO to serve K-12 students at GVE, RR and Bruneau for a period of 3 school years. The award amount is $227K. At the October school board meeting the board approved the term of a Memorandum of Understanding between Owyhee County and our School District. The administration interviewed the applicant from the Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Brant Monahan will be serving as the SRO for our district. Deputy Monahan is a resident of Owyhee County and lives in Oreana. It is important to note that this person will be a deputy and law enforcement official assigned to our schools. Owyhee County is their employer, we are contracting with grant funds for the service over the next three years. This is a formidable opportunity for the school district both the Sheriff’s Office and School District will benefit.
Benefits for our district –
- Law enforcement response time – Response time varies drastically due to the size of Owyhee County and the Sheriff’s Office limited human resources. The expansive geography of Owyhee County, which covers a large area (7,666 Sq miles), means that an officer could be 100 miles or more away from any of the schools in the district. This significant distance can lead to delayed response times in emergency situations, posing a threat to student and staff safety. A delayed response time due to long distances can have dire consequences for those involved. The presence of an SRO will help in preventing incidents through early intervention and building relationships with students.
- Building a positive community partnership – An SRO on-site ensures that there will be a law enforcement presence that can respond immediately to any incidents, reducing the potential harm during critical situations.
- Strengthening community culture – An SRO available to our elementary school settings and our Jr/Sr High School students would significantly enhance the safety and security of schools by providing immediate response capabilities even though our three schools are separated by approximately ten miles between each. An SRO would really help to foster positive community relations and lead the implementation of preventative measures to ensure a safe learning environment.
- Relationship Building: Having a uniformed presence with an SRO will assist in fostering positive relationships with students, creating a supportive and trusting environment between the adult staff and students with the Sheriff’s Office. The outcome will include encouragement toward students that they are safe, keeping them engaged, which enhances their ability to focus on learning.
- Anti-Bullying Initiatives: Having a school resource office available each week, visibly present, interacting in the halls and available to be a support for teachers and the counseling staff will unofficially help lead by displaying a uniform badge of authority and accountability that is within the larger community. Overtly, the SRO will be actively involved in anti-bullying initiatives which will automatically help in reducing incidents of bullying and improving the overall school climate. A safer and more supportive environment leads to better attendance and fewer classroom disruptions.
Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions about our new SRO grant.
Jeff Blaser