We are, of course, always going to be supportive of providing staff for that as long as we’re available or able to.”

Hastings Police Chief Kyle Linscheid

The Hastings School Board began its Wednesday, Aug. 26, meeting with a review of the district’s School Resource Officer program and an update on preparations for the opening of the 2026-27 school year.
The discussion came before the board was unanimously approved renewing the district’s School Resource Officer contract with the City of Hastings later in the meeting. The SRO overview followed Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman’s report and was among the first discussion items on the agenda.
Hastings Police Chief Kyle Linscheid said the city and school district have maintained a long and productive partnership through the SRO program.
“We’ve had a very long-standing history and good partnership,” Linscheid said. “We are, of course, always going to be supportive of providing staff for that as long as we’re available or able to.”
Linscheid said the department was pleased to again have two officers assigned to the schools. He said the need for two officers was apparent during his own time as an SRO from 2011 to 2014.
“I think it was a really good thing that we were finally able to get back to two SROs,” Linscheid said. “That was a need for the entire time that I was an SRO.”
The primary responsibilities of the officers include developing relationships with students and staff, helping maintain a safe school environment, responding to legal or criminal matters and educating students about laws and law enforcement.
The officers also serve as a connection between the district and police department and assist school officials with safety planning, drills and identifying potential security concerns.
Linscheid emphasized that building relationships is a central part of the program. He said seemingly small interactions between an officer and a student can have a lasting effect.
“You never know who you might connect with,” he said.
He recalled being approached during Rivertown Days by a former student who told him that Linscheid had made a meaningful impact on his life.
“That’s the opportunity for every SRO to have those interactions,” Linscheid said.
Officer James Domeier is beginning his second year in the district and works alongside Officer Freeman, who is entering her fourth year in the schools.
Domeier said the officers’ presence has been well received by school employees.
“Just walking in today, a lot of the staff was all happy to see us,” Domeier said. “We’re happy to see them. Everybody’s already got ideas for us this year.”
Those duties could include helping address traffic concerns outside school buildings, students riding bicycles and e-bikes without helmets and motorists using cellphones in school parking lots.
“We plan on helping with all of it,” Domeier said.
Board Chair Carrie Tate thanked the officers for their work and asked how the transition from one officer to two had gone. The district previously had one SRO covering several buildings, a situation that officials said left the officer stretched thin.
Domeier said having a second officer has allowed him to assist Freeman with work at the middle school and with cases carried over from the previous school year.
He said investigations involving digital communications and social media are becoming an increasingly large part of the officers’ workload.
“The digital media investigations are exploding, and we’re going to be dealing with that a lot more this year,” Domeier said.
He also attended forensic interview training during the summer, which could help officers interview children about incidents or assist Dakota County Child Protection Services.
Wehrkamp Herman explained that the district and police department have separate but parallel responsibilities when an incident occurs.
“When something does happen and law enforcement is investigating, we really run two investigations,” she said. “The school runs one, and law enforcement runs another, and they run parallel.”
School administrators, rather than SROs, determine student discipline, she said. Police officers handle possible criminal matters but do not administer school consequences.
“School officers will never meet out discipline,” Wehrkamp Herman said. “That is only something that school officials would ever do. However, we don’t also do any sort of criminal anything. That’s not our role either.”
She said the partnership works best when the district and police department understand their individual responsibilities while continuing to communicate.
Board Member Mark Zuzek, a former school administrator, said one challenge he had observed was that SROs could sometimes spend considerable time investigating incidents that took place away from school.
As an example, Zuzek said an officer might spend much of Monday and Tuesday determining what occurred at a large weekend party involving students.
“That used to frustrate me,” Zuzek said, though he acknowledged officers can often speak with students more efficiently while they are together at school.
Linscheid said communication and respectfully asking questions are important when police officers and educators approach an issue differently.
“I think there’s a way to do that that doesn’t come across as aggressive, and that’s more when you’re being inquisitive,” he said.
The discussion also turned to the increasing use of e-bikes by young people. Domeier said officers continue to see students violating age and safety requirements despite repeated public information efforts.
Board Member Elaine Mikel-Mulder said parents should recognize that time officers spend enforcing e-bike regulations is time that cannot be spent on other duties.
Linscheid agreed.
“We have to respond, and we’re going to deal with whatever’s in front of us,” he said. “But we could probably be dealing with less of it and focusing on different efforts.”
District welcomes new staff
Earlier in the meeting, Wehrkamp Herman welcomed 51 new employees to Hastings Public Schools, including 33 teachers, 13 paraprofessionals and five crossing guards.
The crossing guards previously worked for the city but are now district employees. Wehrkamp Herman said they will continue performing the same duties.
“I just want to welcome everyone to our district, and we’re looking forward to having you as part of our family,” she said.
Teachers and other staff members returned during the week for workshops and professional development.
The district’s welcome-back gathering was scheduled to begin with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. the following morning in the Hastings High School commons. The Hastings Ministerial Association donated the breakfast for district employees.
“I want to express our sincere appreciation to the Hastings Ministerial Association for their generous donation,” Wehrkamp Herman said.
She said it was believed to be the first time the association had provided breakfast for the district’s welcome-back event.
A brief program was scheduled for 8 a.m., with the goal of allowing employees to return to their school buildings by 8:30 a.m. A smaller contingent of the Hastings High School marching band was also scheduled to perform.
“Our marching band will be there, but not in full force, based on the amount of sound that our full marching band can put out,” Wehrkamp Herman said. “They will be a smaller version, but they will be mighty.”
The superintendent also reminded families that classes begin before Labor Day.
Students in grades five and nine were scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 31. Students in grades six through eight and 10 through 12 were to begin Tuesday, Sept. 1, followed by kindergarten through fourth-grade students on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Wehrkamp Herman encouraged families to review the district calendar online for additional schedule information.
“We’re looking forward to having our kids back with us and getting our year going,” she said.