The Oakland Unified School District has hired a new executive director for school safety.
The Oaklandside reports Nelson Alegria will take over the newly-created post.
Alegria was manager for the department of student services with the Alameda County Office of Education. Before that, he held posts with the Simi Valley and Pittsburg school districts.
Alegria will be responsible for coordinating safety and emergency protocols for OUSD staff and students. He will also supervise staff, assess threats and coordinate with law enforcement.
Alegria’s appointment comes five years after Oakland Unified’s school board unanimously voted to eliminate the school police department and adopt a new approach to safety.
OUSD has faced several violent incidents in recent years. These include the fatal shooting in 2022 of an OUSD carpenter, when two gunmen stormed an the East Oakland Hills campus.
And several schools have had to shelter in place in recent years in response to multiple bomb threats.
Alegria is scheduled to begin his work next week.
