Cy Silver — Norris School District
Safer Schools Coalition Award
When schools began returning to normal routines post-pandemic, Cy Silver, Superintendent of Norris School District, noticed a vital piece missing from the transition back: comprehensive safety protocols.
“There’s foundational things you have to have in place for kids to be successful, and one of those is safety,” Silver insisted. “They have to come on campus and feel safe.”
Having attended Norris School District himself and later watching his children attend the same schools, Silver operates on a principle he believes every educator should care for their students as if they were your own child.
His philosophy helped create the Northwest Safe Schools Coalition, a partnership between Fruitvale, Norris, Rio Bravo, and Rosedale school districts, and local law enforcement and fire agencies with a unified approach to safety. The schools began implementing hands-on training in active-assailant response, Run-Hide-Fight, Stop the Bleed, and standard response protocols across campuses.
“Really what we’re trying to do is build a comprehensive protocol for what people should know in every single role to prepare them for any safety issue,” Silver explained.
Under Silver’s guidance, school safety protocols go further than physical response and focused on strengthening prevention tactics. The coalition coordinated vulnerability assessments, security camera upgrades, digital mapping for emergency services, and proactive threat-assessment protocols. The partnership also led to the addition of two full-time School Resource Officers to serve participating districts.
Ensuring safe schools requires continuous preparation. For the past three years, Silver has brought district leaders and first responders together at least four times annually to share best practices, align emergency procedures, and reinforce real-time communication.
Educators and first responders are enthusiastic about the partnership.
“Cy is a humble leader who has strong convictions about what needs to be done for kids,” said Dr. Leslie Garrison, Fruitvale School District Superintendent, affirming Silver’s dedication to school safety.
The collaboration between the four neighboring school districts has since expanded into a regional blueprint. Silver now shares the coalition’s resources and frameworks with neighboring areas, extending a local effort into a broader model for collaboration and continuous improvement in school safety.
At its core, Silver’s work comes down to a simple, enduring purpose: “I just find a ton of value and satisfaction in trying to do the best we can to provide a safe place for kids to go to school,” he said.
Watch The Video Here: Safer Schools Coalition Award Video