Shelby County Public Schools convened its SAFE Task Force on September 24 as part of the district’s ongoing work to strengthen student safety, professional standards, and accountability across its schools.
State Rep. Jennifer Decker, State Sen. Aaron Reed, Police Chief Bruce Gentry, Capt. Kyle Tipton, and Mayor Troy Ethington were among those participating in the task force’s first organizational meeting, along with school officials, parents, and community members.
During the meeting, members elected Hayley Weddle as task force chair and parent representative Zach Tipton as co-chair. Members also established the foundation for the group’s work by discussing its purpose, goals, and plans for communicating with the public.
The SAFE Task Force was formed to identify opportunities to strengthen local policies and practices, increase public awareness, improve understanding of laws and regulations governing school districts, advocate for potential improvements to state law, and bring a range of perspectives into discussions about student safety.
“I think one of the most important things about this task force is having people at the table who see student safety from different perspectives,” said Weddle. “Having educators, administrators, parents, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and other stakeholders involved gives us a better understanding of what we can do to keep students safe. I am really excited about the transparency this can bring to our community, and I hope what we learn and build here can eventually help other districts across Kentucky do the same."
As part of its initial work, the task force reviewed the Kentucky Code of Ethics for educators, state law addressing the grooming of minors, Education Professional Standards Board procedures involving educator certification, the district’s Title IX sexual harassment policy, and proposed legislation for the 2027 legislative session. Members also reviewed SCPS resources addressing professionalism, reporting concerns, staff termination, and student safety.
The task force’s work builds on several student safety and accountability measures SCPS has introduced or strengthened in 2026. These include annual staff training on sexual misconduct and professional boundaries, age-appropriate student awareness training, the Case IQ reporting system, the STOP Tip Line, and stronger investigation requirements for allegations of sexual misconduct.
The SAFE Task Force will meet at least quarterly. At its next meeting in November, members plan to conduct a comprehensive review of school policies and begin organizing advocacy efforts ahead of the upcoming legislative session.