Santa Rosa school officials address concerns about campus violence
Santa Rosa high schools have been hit with a string of tragedies this school year, including teen overdose deaths, stabbings and weapons found on campus.
At Elsie Allen High School, their principal has also been removed. He was the longest-serving high school principal in the school district.
On Tuesday, concerned parents, students and residents filled Elsie Allen High School's library looking for answers from district administrators.
Tammy Rompelman took to the mic to fight for her daughter.
"I need her to feel safe," Rompelman said to the room full of people. "How are you going to do this for our children?"
Rompelman said she was nervous to bring up her concern, but she's more nervous for her daughter's safety, well-being and education.
Superintendent Daisy Morales said that many of the issues with violence aren't starting on campus, but instead within the community and spilling over on campus.
She said they are working with the City of Santa Rosa's violence prevention programs, including a new one to address teen gang violence and fentanyl abuse.
They will have a presentation about it at Elsie Allen on March 25 at 5:30 p.m.
There have been two stabbings this school year, one just a few weeks ago and another back in August. Those situations have impacted Rompelman's daughter.
"She's anxious, she has anxiety," Rompelman said. "She doesn't want to come to school because she's afraid something will happen to her."
Rompelman admits many days her daughter doesn't go to school, and if she does she needs help just getting there.
"I have to have someone walk her to class because she won't get out of my car without an escort," Rompelman said.
Throughout the meeting, many people expressed feelings of fear, instability and uncertainty.
Safety isn't the only concern, the community just learned the school would be spared from a closure. Then their principal Gabe Albavera, who is the longest-tenured in the district, was placed on administrative leave and will not return.
"The timing of this is so awful given what we've all gone through," said a man who spoke during the meeting. "I guess what I want to know is would this have happened anyway had the stabbing not happened?"
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Vicki Zands carefully tried to address his question.
"It is due to a personnel issue that's not specific to what happened on campus," Zands said. "It's not specific to the stabbing."
She cites that there were several factors that went into the firing and that those issues go back quite a while.
Stabbings have become all too familiar in Santa Rosa City Schools. In March 2023, a student was fatally stabbed by another student during an art class at Montgomery High School.
Rompelman vividly remembers the aftermath.
"We went to the funeral and saw the reaction of everybody and having to say goodbye to this young life that was lost and could have been prevented," Rompelman said.
She still wants to see the school district do more.
"Find some sort of plan to be able to see if there's any sort of weapons in the backpacks before to make it safe before someone has to bring it up to staff," Rompelman said. "There has to be a way around that."
Morales said metal detectors and clear backpacks are not currently being considered.
