Lynden Adds Director of Safety and Security for 2025-2026
A shared passion for student safety led volunteers on the Lynden Schools Safety and Security Task Force to focus on ways to improve the district. That volunteer effort resulted in a list of recommendations for the district, including the addition of a new position for director of safety and security for the 2025-26 school year.
“Lynden recognizes that learning suffers when students fear for their safety,” the task force writes in its report. “A safe school environment is critical for healthy academic and social development. Today’s students are much more aware of safety concerns than ever before.”
Formed in fall 2023, the 25-plus-member group of community volunteers published its report with nine key recommendations:
• Create and foster a safety-focused culture by prioritizing training consistency and building confidence in the mindsets of staff, students, and community.
• Strengthen access control protocols and train school personnel and parents to follow them.
• Further develop relationships with law enforcement agencies and first responders.
• Replace Lynden High School to include limited points of entry, designed using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) expertise and current best practices.
• Develop a district resource officer position to begin the 2025-2026 school year.
• Complete a safety audit of pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic risks around each of the district’s schools. Identify priorities to complete upgrades such as signage, lighting, and marked crosswalks/paths.
• Increase video surveillance, particularly across external areas of all facilities where students are served.
• Complete a comprehensive Threat, Vulnerability, and Security review every four years.
• Review and strengthen current online safety and awareness educational program for students and parents.
While all nine are of great importance, David VanderYacht, superintendent, says that the recommendation to create and foster a safety-focused culture through consistent training and shaping the mindsets of our students, staff members, and visitors to our campuses really stood out to him. The group strongly believed that all nine recommendations are essential and that a safety lead in the school district is warranted. Jim Verburg, board chair believes “the recommended safety and security position reflects a shared commitment by the board and the community to support the safety and well-being of students and staff.”
The report wasn’t just about needs. While there’s always room for improvement, the report tallied high marks for the district’s ability to recognize internal threats and put preventative measures in place. The district’s commitment to a mental health professional on staff has yielded positive outcomes in the past three years, the report says, and threat assessment protocols to identify students who are presenting as risks to themselves and others are getting the help they need. The task force also noted the positive implementation of an emergency response protocol that includes collaborative work with other Whatcom County school districts.
Having a mix of community members leading the task force helped provide a range of insights. “The varied experiences and perspectives significantly contributed to the collective agreements of the recommended priorities,” VanderYacht says. “We had federal and local law enforcement, parents, safety and medical personnel, military personnel, a teacher, and a school psychologist all discussing safety and security issues. It was a superintendent’s dream committee and one that resulted in a tremendous sense of gratitude among all involved.”
That wide-ranging perspective helped give the final report additional value. “Challenges are often easily identified, butthe responses to them can be more nuanced,” VanderYacht says. “This group navigated important topics and came out with actionable short- and long-term steps to take.”
The Director of Safety and Security position is currently posted on the district’s website. The full Safety and Security Task Force report can be found here.
