Students in Box Elder County start new school year after Tremonton tragedy
Aug 25, 2025, 12:32 PM | Updated: 6:04 pm
Officers standing outside of North Park Elementary on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Derek Peterson, KSL TV)
(Derek Peterson, KSL TV)
TREMONTON — Kids in Box Elder County are returning to class for the first time since last week’s tragic shooting in Tremonton.
While schools weren’t connected to the shooting that claimed two police officers’ lives, it’s still on everyone’s mind.
“I think people in town are feeling a little anxious as well. This is definitely a lot more parents than I’ve seen at this school ever, really,” said Josh Mosley, parent of a North Park Elementary student.
Dozens of parents were seen escorting their children to their first day of class at North Park Elementary, located less than a block away from last week’s deadly shooting.
Officer Eric Estrada, left, and Sgt. Lee Sorenson, right, were killed while responding to a domestic violence call on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (Tremonton-Garland Police Department)
For some families, the new school year helps them process the tragedy. One parent believed that going back to school would give students a sense of normality.
“They will be focused on education and improving their skills,” said Oleksandra Demochemko, parent of a North Park Elementary student.
That’s the goal of the police and the Box Elder School District, too. Officers showed up to help kids feel safe. The district prepared its teachers that kids may want to talk about it today.
“We hope to give our teachers a really good background on how to handle it and just let the kids be secure … the biggest thing we feel like with students is that when they’re safe and feel secure, then they can learn,” said Steve Carlsen, Box Elder School District Superintendent.
Officers standing outside of North Park Elementary on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Derek Peterson, KSL TV)
The mood in Tremonton is not quite on edge, but a consciousness of how close this community wants to be, especially when something like this hits so close to home.
“I mean, half a block away, whether the school is involved or not, everyone wants to feel that safety that togetherness, and know they’re kids are going to a safe space,” Mosley said.
Mental health support available as Box Elder County students return to school
The district isn’t providing grief counselors on Monday, but at North Park Elementary, they do have one of their four licensed clinical social workers at the school, who is trained on helping kids in situations like this.
On Wednesday, students across the district will get out of class early, and there will be no school on Thursday or Friday. The district office will also be closed, but evening school activities will go as planned.
