Private security guards will patrol school grounds in Kalispell for the remainder of the school year.  

In an 8-1 vote, the Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees approved a contract with Talos Security on Jan. 13 after much discussion about student perception and safety.  

Under the contract, private security personnel will supplement the existing Kalispell Police Department School Resource Officer program.   

Talos Security will conduct vehicle and foot patrols to check entrances, monitor activity on school grounds and respond to suspicious behavior or activity, according to school officials. Patrols will be irregular to deter threats.  

Talos' proposal to the board emphasized “proactive deterrence, de-escalation and preemptive threat resolution to maintain a safe environment for students, staff and visitors,” suggesting coverage from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., but notes the company can provide around-the-clock assistance as needed.  

The district will pay an hourly rate of $42 ($40 during events). Superintendent Matt Jensen said the district will not place a guard at every school but declined to disclose staffing levels, citing safety reasons. Costs will be covered through the building reserve safety sub-fund, which contains about $300,000 for security-related expenses, according to district Business Director Chris Campbell.  

The board’s action follows several incidents that raised safety concerns at Flathead and Glacier high schools and prompted a review of building security measures.  The incidents included threats against Flathead the weekend of Jan. 4 and a reported fight at Glacier in the fall. 

Jensen said the district’s recommendation also reflects vulnerabilities identified in a 2022 safety audit, the details of which have not been released for security reasons. 

The district previously sought funding for security improvements through elementary and high school safety levy elections in October 2023. Both measures failed, leaving administrators to find other ways to address gaps.  

"Even though that ... safety levy failed, we've been incrementally trying to chip away at the findings inside that safety audit," Jensen said. "We're still responsible for the findings in that audit.”  

Trustees discussed whether adding student resource officers would be preferable, given their training as law enforcement officers working in a school environment and relationships with students.  

Board Chair Scott Warnell said adding student resource officers would be more expensive and may be constrained by broader policing needs and staffing levels. The cost of student resource officers is shared by the Kalispell Police Department and school district. The former pays 75% of the cost of a starting officer’s salary, and the school district 25%. 

The district currently has a student resource officer at each high school and the middle school. Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio said the program will not change because of the district hiring Talos. 

“The Kalispell Police Department remains the primary law enforcement partner for safety in our schools, and that role does not change,” Venezio said in a statement. “At the same time, KPD recognizes that school safety is a shared responsibility. We support School District 5’s use of private security as part of a layered approach to safety and welcome any assistance that helps create a secure learning environment for students in Kalispell. When everyone works together, our schools are safer.” 

Trustee Rebecca Linden cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns that the contract lacked clear expectations for how security guards should interact with students, like the agreement volunteers and chaperones sign. Jensen said security guards will focus on exterior, public areas and will not have unsupervised access to students, while acknowledging they may need the authority to approach individuals when concerns arise. 

“I think the expectation I’d have is that they treat all people in a respectful, professional manner. If they’re not doing that, that’s a violation of the contract,” Jensen said. 

Warnell said Talos has a strong reputation in the valley and a working relationship with the Police Department. The company was founded by 2003 Flathead graduate James Hatton and 2004 Flathead grad Brad Timmons and lists some of its clients as being Flathead Valley Community College, Glacier Park International Airport, Whitefish Mountain Resort and Iron Horse. 

Talos’ website states all employees are subject to state licensing requirements set by the state Board of Private Security, which includes background checks.   

Linden also expressed concern about the potential impact of an increased security presence on student well-being. She advocated for channeling funding into prevention efforts that universally address behavioral and social-emotional needs of students. 

“I’m concerned about the effects on students of more armed people around their campus," Linden said. “... feeling that they’re in prison; that they’re being watched; that there’s somebody with a weapon around. I mean even for some of us, having somebody with a weapon around you raises your blood pressure, if you will ...” 

Linden, Jensen and Warnell declined to specify how security guards would be armed (whether that meant guns, Tasers or pepper spray), citing safety reasons. 

Other trustees said the district must take steps in response to recent threats, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining student trust and a balanced approach to safety during the Jan. 13 meeting. 

"I think all of it’s concerning," Trustee Ursula Wilde said in response to Linden. “I mean, the idea that we are going to need someone armed on the campus is concerning.” 

“I do want this here. I will accept it for what it is," she later added. “But I do feel there is a precedent that has been set that the [student resource officer] interacts with the students in a way that builds trust and isn’t just an authority figure looking to get people in trouble and I hope that security would match that." 

Vice Chair Jinnifer Mariman said it would be hard not to do anything in light of the two incidents at the high schools. 

“To get us to the end of the school year, I think we have to do something. And this looks to be a good solution to protect the safety of our students and teachers. Let’s be honest, our teachers are really, unfortunately, on the front lines of much of anything that would happen,” Mariman said. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].