Evergreen High School gets ready for students to return after shooting at the Colorado school

Students of Evergreen High School in Colorado are getting ready to return to their classes this coming week. As updates continue to trickle in from the district about what measures will be in place, many, like senior Tyler Guyton, know it will be difficult on a number of levels.

"I've had friends drive past the high school, had to pull over and throw up," he told CBS News Colorado. "Had to turn around and go home. Couldn't make it past the library, so it's gonna be a mix of emotions."

While Tyler, the student body co-president, wasn't on campus that afternoon, around 200 of the 800 members of the EHS community were. Some witnessed the shooting occur, some ran, while others weren't even in class yet. That wide range of experiences, and the corresponding emotions that go with them, meant that student input would be valuable on what a return would look like.

"There's a lot of students that want their voices heard, and our district and our staff are making sure our voices are heard," explained Tyler.

Evergreen High School sent out a survey to students about what they would want to see in a return scenario and reported that almost 85 percent of the student body responded. While opinions vary on a number of things, there is a broad opinion among the students that they should be given the respect to process it on their own time. Even on smaller, out-of-school discussions, such as a community plan to put signs on the road leading up to the school, there are mixed emotions about consistent reminders of September 10th as teenagers are trying to remember what normalcy felt like before the shooting.

"Every student, every parent, and every Evergreen community member is gonna have a different perspective on what that looks like," Tyler added. "But the important thing is everyone should lend a hand."

The balance from the community will also play out in school.

"When we go back to school, we have to be reintroduced to our education," Tyler said. "But we have to acknowledge and be vulnerable -- and bold in vulnerable ways -- about what happened last week."

Jefferson County School District announced its plans for returning students to school on Sunday after reviewing the survey answers. Over the next week and a half, the schedule is as follows:

• Sept. 22 - Sept. 24: Staff preparation for return to learning for students 
• Sept. 24: The school building will be open to students and families for a structured event from 5 - 8 p.m. 
• Sept. 25 - Sept. 26: Gradual return for students. No classes (8:30 - 11 a.m.)
• Sept. 29 - Sept. 30: Classroom learning will be introduced through short, partial days (8:30 a.m. to noon)

"Jeffco's strong team of mental health experts has worked closely with our school to develop a trauma-informed return to learning plan that takes into consideration the feedback we've gotten from our students, staff, and families and the unique needs of our community," said the district. "We believe our plan forward, which was previewed with staff on Friday, Sept. 19, offers students a flexible pathway to return to school. Please refer to our Return to Learning webpage for continuous updates as we move through the coming days and weeks."

The district provided a breakdown online on what students and parents can expect each day. They also asked students not to bring backpacks, as they won't be needed that week. They said students will be allowed to have their phones. Students will need to scan their school ID when they arrive or use the Infinite Campus app.

Jeffco Schools also announced they will bring Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Odie Tucker as a full-time school resource officer. There will also be four full-time campus supervisors from the Jeffco Safety and Security Team, as well as continuous real-time video monitoring of all mountain schools by the Jeffco Dispatch Center.

Tucker has been a member of the sheriff's office and has served the Evergreen community since January 2022. He said his primary responsibility is law enforcement, but he also wants to help mentor and educate the students.

In a message to students and families, Tucker said, "I'm a protector. I will gladly lay down my life for those that I love, and I love you. I'm a servant. Every day, I will come to the school prepared to pour myself out for you. You all are the bravest students in the State of Colorado. So, as you see me walking around the hallways, or talking to teachers, or in my office right there on Main Street, feel free to stop in, say hi, ask questions. I look forward to the year that we're going to have together, and I cannot wait to see you."

Multiple mental health and academic resources will also be available for students as they adjust to their return and establish what a new normal will be like.

Around town, life feels like it's returning to normal. On Sunday afternoon at the Evergreen Lake House, the media staging site on the day of the shooting, a wedding is taking place as throngs of onlookers take pictures of a small group of elk walking by the lake. It can be easy to forget what happened just 11 days ago if someone isn't a part of the community. But you can't drive more than fifty feet through downtown without seeing an 'Evergreen Strong' banner or flag.

As the Guyton family attended church in the morning, the sermon concerned the last two weeks of violence in schools and on campuses across America. Tyler said a small prayer for his own community and hopes that a spirit of compassion can be the feeling throughout Evergreen for the rest of the year.

"We have to understand that love and reaching out a hand and lending a hand to one another, being empathetic, this is how we get through this," Tyler concluded.