The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) was featured at the 2025 National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) Conference as a model district in proactive school safety.
Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Operations Jennifer Gardner delivered a presentation titled From Partnership to Protection, highlighting the district’s multi-agency approach to campus security. The session outlined how LPSS built a consistent and coordinated safety structure through collaboration with local law enforcement, strategic training, and policy refinement.
LPSS is one of the few school districts in the nation to post a trained law enforcement officer at every school in the district. This comprehensive coverage—spanning elementary, middle, and high schools—sets LPSS apart and is made possible through strong partnerships with local agencies.
Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr., Board Members Josh Edmond and Jeremy Hidalgo, members of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lafayette Police Department were in attendance, reinforcing the strength of those partnerships and their shared commitment to school safety.
Key outcomes shared during the presentation included:
- Full integration with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center
- Unified SRO training across all law enforcement agencies
- A revised district-wide crisis plan
- Adjustments to the discipline matrix in response to safety threats
- No threat-related campus evacuations during the 2024–2025 school year
“This is my third year attending NASRO,” said Mr. Touchet. “While I’m proud of the work we’ve done, I’ll continue to be here because learning, growing, and staying at the forefront of safety is not optional. It’s our responsibility.”
