Superintendent Jason Snively discussed creating a School Resource Officer (SRO) position paid for by the school district at the Danville Local School District Board of Education meeting Monday, Sept. 21.
Lt. Mark Perkins, the district's current SRO, is retiring, leaving the SRO position vacant as of Friday. Snively, who spoke with Danville Police Department Chief Dan Weckesser that afternoon, said the department will be providing an officer just for school security through the end of December.
The school district hopes to have a pool of candidates to hire from by early January. Toward that end, Snively hopes to work with Weckesser to have a job description for the position put together and approved at the next board meeting.
Snively suggested the position be on the district's teacher salary schedule.
"We want to have a long-term position that would have some longevity to, that will support our students, support our staff," Snively told the Mount Vernon News. "If we have the right person and that individual [can provide] a comprehensive resource program, provide training to our staff, provide training to our students— also incorporate a true resource officer position that we can have some educational value to it. So that's why I think the thought is it's fair— this person is going to be an educator just as much as a legal authority."
"Through attrition we did not hire a teacher this year that we did not need, so basically what we'd be doing is replacing a teaching position with an SRO position," Snively said. "So our total number of staff would not necessarily change."
Snively noted he told Weckesser the school district hopes to continue the agreement with the village to provide a cruiser and also the uniforms for the SRO, emphasizing that the officer would not use the cruiser outside of emergencies arising at the school or otherwise work for the police department.
Board member Carolyn Addair brought up the cost of having an officer at sporting events, asking if it was covered under the current SRO contract. Snively confirmed that it was separate, that it was $80 per sporting event, paid for by the athletic department. He suggested including home football game coverage in the SRO position job description; as well as other activities that involve a lot of students; such as homecoming, prom and graduation.
"It is going to be more costly to the district," Snively said. "But we also feel like the district and the citizens will get better support if we can work through the school system. Financially as well."
