Summit Partners

Montana Safe Schools Center (MSSC)

The Jeremy Bullock Memorial Trust and the Montana Safe Schools Center are partnering together for this year’s 2022 Safe Schools Summit to continue the mission of improving school safety by ensuring all children have a positive and safe learning environment in which to thrive. The work of the Montana Safe Schools Center directly aligns with the mission and vision of the Summit to provide relevant professional development to K-12 schools in Montana. By doing this, we aim to meet the needs of those that teach, support, protect, counsel and inspire our youth today. The Jeremy Bullock Safe Schools Summit provides a collaborative, supportive, and engaging Summit experience that focuses on school safety topics that are relevant to current school needs. Developing a community of practice highlights the importance of the Summit as a gathering space to learn together and work towards creating a community of safety.

The University of Montana’s Safe Schools Center was endorsed by the Superintendent of Montana’s Office Public Instruction in 2005, and approved by the Montana University System Board of Regents in 2006. Our organization has been working on numerous school safety grants and initiatives since 1999. Our current director Dr. Emily Sallee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling.

The Montana Safe Schools Center’s (MSSC) mission is to provide outreach regarding school safety; all-hazards management; suicide; bullying; emergency and crisis prevention; mitigation; response and recovery; and internet safety in early childhood programs, P/K-12 and institutes of higher education. We provide training, research and professional development services to schools and communities across Montana and the U.S.

Montana Office of Public Instruction

The Office of Public Instruction is one of Montana’s five constitutionally recognized offices headed by a statewide elected official. Every four years, Montanans elect a Superintendent of Public Instruction to manage the OPI. The OPI serves as Montana’s state education agency. Montana is a ‘local control in education state’ so much of the decision-making in education happens in our state’s over 400 local school districts by a locally elected board of trustees. The OPI exists to serve students, parents, and local schools.

Helena Public Schools

Helena Public Schools foster dynamic educational experiences that prepare all students for life. The mission of the Helena Public Schools is to challenge and empower each student to maximize individual potential and become a competent, productive, responsible, caring citizen. This mission will be supported through the wise use of resources to meet students’ needs, regardless of interests and talents. Students, families, educators and the community are committed to sharing the responsibility for creating a student-centered educational community that acknowledges learning as a life-long process.

Montana School Safety Advisory Committee

Mission Statement
The Montana School Safety Advisory Committee believes that school safety is a shared responsibility. The committee meets to collaboratively assist educators, parents, students, emergency responders, and community organizations to create a caring, respectful, and safe environment within all Montana schools.

Goal of the Committee
Provide outreach, resources, and support to all Montana schools as they prevent, protect from, mitigate, respond to, and recover from all natural, technological, and human-caused emergency and crisis situations.

Members of MSSAC include

  • Office of the Governor
  • Governor’s Office of Community Service
  • MT Office of Public Instruction
    • Superintendent’s Office
    • Executive Staff
    • Health Enhancement Division
    • Special Education Division
  • MT Department of Health and Human Services
  • MT Department of Military Affairs Disaster and Emergency Services
  • US Department of Homeland Security
  • Montana School Boards Association
  • School Administrators of Montana
  • Montana Rural Education Association
  • Montana Small Schools Alliance
  • University of Montana – Montana Safe Schools Center
  • Kalispell Police Department
  • Spartan Consulting

Jeremy Bullock Memorial Trust

The combined Jeremy Bullock Memorial Trust and Charities Through Jeremy were established in memory of Jeremy Bullock in 1994, following his tragic death at Margaret Leary Elementary School in Butte, Montana. Jeremy was the unintended victim of a school shooting on April 12, 1994. The trust and foundation were established initially to construct and maintain a sports complex adjacent to the Margaret Leary school, as well as to provide funding for local organizations in support of student safety- both in memory of Jeremy and to aid students of Montana.

Created as Charitable Organizations, they provide support and partnership from parents Bill and Robin Bullock, brothers and sister, Josh, Sam, Max and Kaity, grandparents Jack and Penny Copps, and uncle/aunt Steve and Lisa Bullock, as well as our extended families of Kate Stetzner and Ray Rogers to this Safe School Summit. We have a continuing goal of working towards having all children feel safe as they attend school and growing as strong citizens of Montana. We thank you for your participation in this Summit and even more, in taking back these learnings, sharing and talking about them, and continuing to improve student safety across Montana.

Butte School District No. 1

Butte Public School has a mission to create, in partnership with its staff, families and community, challenging opportunities for all students to be successful as they become responsible and contributing citizens and master the knowledge and skills essential for life-long learning in our changing and diverse world. The Butte School District is comprised of Butte High School, East Middle School, and its elementary schools: Emerson, Hillcrest, Kennedy, Margaret Leary, West, and Whittier.

The City-County of Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement

Under the direction of Sherriff Ed Lester and Undersheriff George Skuletich, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement has a diverse staff of law enforcement professionals who serve and protect the communities of Butte-Silver Bow.