BILLINGS– Billings educators are weighing options for increased safety measures following the stabbing at Billings Senior High School, which resulted in no felony charges.
One focus is increasing mental health resources and counseling for students through federal and state grants.
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Related: 'Frustrating:' Family, district react to lack of felony charges in Senior High stabbing case
The goal is to decrease the number of violent incidents in schools. Billings Public Schools superintendent Dr. Erwin Garcia told MTN there were 79 reports of aggression from students toward teachers in the 2025 to 2026 school year.
“What causes a child to come to school to harm someone? Well, we can make a connection to the community in general. What is the most frequent crime in Billings, Montana? Domestic abuse,” said Garcia. “How can you quantify the impact of a counselor, right? The real power really is that support for kids, that is really a root cause."
Garcia has also applied for an approximately $250,000 federal grant for screens that could alert people of emergencies in places such as high school gyms.
“The intercom system you wouldn't be able to hear. So, then you have a visual notification system that you can have a screen at the gym that will tell you shelter in place,” Garcia said.
The district has already reduced the number of accessible entrances at Senior High and provided police officers with access cards to enter the school more quickly. Police have also been given access to school radio communication.
Teachers are also sharing input. A new safety committee including five teachers and five administrators will bring recommendations about future safety measures.
“Recommendations from teachers, people that are on the ground, people that are in the schools, and some of their lived experience to see what the best practice can be moving forward,” said Billings Education Association President Lance Edward.
MTN interviewed Edward while he was at a picket outside Senior High, where teachers and students held up signs demanding more school safety.
Surveillance cameras are another topic of discussion for safety improvements. Many schools in the district have surveillance cameras in hallways and outside buildings, but none have cameras inside classrooms.
In May, former Billings Police Chief Rich St. John said the lack of video created challenges during the stabbing investigation.
"The evidence that we usually end up finding, videos, eyewitnesses, some other circumstantial things have not been there," said St. John.
However, Edward said cameras in the classroom are a complicated issue.
“I think there’s a lot of privacy issues at play,” Edward said. “It's not something we've really had much discussion about whatsoever.”
Garcia said significantly expanding the district's camera system would also cost tens of millions of dollars.
“An elementary school can easily need 20 cameras,” Garcia said. “And remember, it's not only the cameras, people get fixated with the cameras, you have, your servers have to change.”
In 2024, the district tried to add security cameras in hallways and outside elementary and high schools through two levies totaling $5 million. Both failed at the polls.
“Voters are already exhausted and overwhelmed with the taxation that they've seen and the inflation,” said Garcia.
However, Garcia is turning his attention to mental health.
“I know people want to hear about cameras and metal detectors and, you know, the concrete stuff, but we know that that really doesn't address the real core issues,” Garcia said.
The stabbing occurred Jan. 13 after school and involved a teacher and a student, according to Garcia. The teacher involved was identified as Jason Rader.
Available mental health and violence prevention resources at Billings schools include Hope Squad, a youth suicide prevention program; Rachel's Challenge, an anti-bullying and violence program; and Sandy Hook Promise, and anonymous reporting system.
