Jason Periard’s ideas will help shape the future of school security in Knox County.
Periard, 49, is a former Marine Corps investigator and leader in managing security for Jewish organizations. Knox County Schools announced his hire earlier this month.
His first day is Aug. 1, which could be after the school board has approved a new bridge agreement with the Knoxville Police Department. The board faces pressure from some community members to review all of the district's security practices and agreements with local police departments but faces a time crunch with classes starting again in early August.
The district's relationship with law enforcement was scrutinized in 2019 and the communitywide conversation was re-ignited after a Knoxville police officer shot and killed a student inside a high school bathroom in April.