Students at Evergreen High School will return to gradual classes Thursday morning, more than two weeks after a shooter injured two students and took his own life.

Staff members returned to the school Monday to begin preparation for the school week. It will be open to parents and students for an open house on Wednesday and school will resume Thursday, according to a news release from the school.

The open house — from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday — will allow “for students and their families to enter and move around the classrooms and spaces in the building together, at their own pace and direction. We will have mental health support available, a wellness room for anyone who needs a quiet space and therapy dogs,” school officials said.

Thursday and Friday will be gradual days for the students, with classes only running from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., including “connection” activities and lunch.

The school also plans on two gradual days on Sept. 29-30, resuming full class schedules on Oct. 1.

Events will be held in the community for parents in partnership with the National Mass Violence Center to discuss recovery and best practices.

“As we move forward together, there is one thing I am certain of: this school and this community hold the most incredible, the most courageous people I have ever known,” Principal Skyler Artes said in a video.

The return comes after 16-year-old Desmond Holly allegedly entered the school with a revolver and fired around 20 times on Sept. 10, critically injuring two students and then killing himself.

The shooting, and the lack of a school resource officer (SRO) at the school at the time of the incident, sparked community concerns.

The full-time SRO at the school was on medical leave during the shooting. Meanwhile, a deputy who assumed those policing duties on a part-time basis was working on a traffic crash nearby, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

The part-time SRO was allowed to come and go when needed elsewhere, police said.

In response, the sheriff’s office and Jeffco Public Schools announced that they will assign 14 full-time SROs to 12 Jeffco middle and high schools in unincorporated parts of the county chosen by the district, including Evergreen High School.

The new full-time SRO at Evergreen will be Deputy Odie Tucker.

In a video, Tucker told students that he will be there to be a mentor and provide security, teach and serve.

The school will also have an armed Jeffco safety and security officer employed by the district, four full-time campus supervisors from the district’s safety team and video monitoring by the Jeffco Dispatch Center, according to the release.

The Denver Gazette reached out to the school district to ask the difference between SROs and security officers, but did not hear back by the time of this report.

“You are going to have problems, and I hope to help you solve them,” Tucker said. “I’m a protector. I will gladly lay down my life for those that I love, and I love you. You all are the greatest students in the state of Colorado.”

More information on events and schedules can be found at Evergreen.jeffcopublicschools.org.

Students at Evergreen High School will return to gradual classes Thursday morning, more than two weeks after a shooter injured two students and took his own life.

Staff members returned to the school Monday to begin preparation for the school week. It will be open to parents and students for an open house on Wednesday and school will resume Thursday, according to a news release from the school.

The open house — from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday — will allow “for students and their families to enter and move around the classrooms and spaces in the building together, at their own pace and direction. We will have mental health support available, a wellness room for anyone who needs a quiet space and therapy dogs,” school officials said.

Thursday and Friday will be gradual days for the students, with classes only running from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., including “connection” activities and lunch.

The school also plans on two gradual days on Sept. 29-30, resuming full class schedules on Oct. 1.

Events will be held in the community for parents in partnership with the National Mass Violence Center to discuss recovery and best practices.

“As we move forward together, there is one thing I am certain of: this school and this community hold the most incredible, the most courageous people I have ever known,” Principal Skyler Artes said in a video.

The return comes after 16-year-old Desmond Holly allegedly entered the school with a revolver and fired around 20 times on Sept. 10, critically injuring two students and then killing himself.

The shooting, and the lack of a school resource officer (SRO) at the school at the time of the incident, sparked community concerns.

The full-time SRO at the school was on medical leave during the shooting. Meanwhile, a deputy who assumed those policing duties on a part-time basis was working on a traffic crash nearby, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

The part-time SRO was allowed to come and go when needed elsewhere, police said.

In response, the sheriff’s office and Jeffco Public Schools announced that they will assign 14 full-time SROs to 12 Jeffco middle and high schools in unincorporated parts of the county chosen by the district, including Evergreen High School.

The new full-time SRO at Evergreen will be Deputy Odie Tucker.

In a video, Tucker told students that he will be there to be a mentor and provide security, teach and serve.

The school will also have an armed Jeffco safety and security officer employed by the district, four full-time campus supervisors from the district’s safety team and video monitoring by the Jeffco Dispatch Center, according to the release.

The Denver Gazette reached out to the school district to ask the difference between SROs and security officers, but did not hear back by the time of this report.

“You are going to have problems, and I hope to help you solve them,” Tucker said. “I’m a protector. I will gladly lay down my life for those that I love, and I love you. You all are the greatest students in the state of Colorado.”

More information on events and schedules can be found at Evergreen.jeffcopublicschools.org.