Updated: K-L Explores School Resource Officer Job

Updated, July 31

The Katonah Lewisboro school board is cautiously moving forward on the addition of a school resource officer to the district but will confirm state financial commitments prior to planning for implementation.

"We are not going to put ourselves in a position where we commit to anything prior to money being disbursed to our coffers," said Paul Kreutzer, superintendent of schools. "If we get the money, we 'll get the officer."

Board member Janet Harckham expressed concern with the stability of the source of funds—$80,000 earmarked by Sen. Greg Ball (R,C- Patterson)—noting, "It unnerves me to depend on a member item. It’s slush money that depends on politics."

Board member Stephanie Tobin asked about the responsibilities of the position and what a typical day on the job would look like.

"Part of the role is having relationships with kids in school; so [they know about] the things going on in community that are risky—parties, dangerous behavior—it’s about prevention," responsded Alice Cronin, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. "So there is some unstructured time [spent] building relationships."

Cronin said the officer may also go to elementary schools in order to begin establishing a presence among kids that would last until the upper grades. In the high school, an officer might spend time in a law or social studies class, in addition to participating in school events like games and dances.

Scott Persampieri, who was attending his first meeting as a member of the district's cabinet in the , added that an SRO was "a great resource" on school safety and crisis teams.

Harckham spoke favoroably about the role formerly held by Officer Frank Secret. "He would find out and prevent things," she said.

Kreutzer said other districts, such as Bedford Central Schools, have found the position beneficial. If the grant funding were to discontinue after one year, he said, he would explore obtaining funds from the town of Lewisboro and the town of Bedford.

"I will begin working on this, and if the grant falls away, it will have to come from multiple coffers," said Kreutzer. "If there's no grant, there's no officer."

In Bedford, the cost of the $167,000 salary paid to School Resource Officer Bill Smith is borne by the town—where officials have also discussed how to fund the position. During the 2011 budget season, the town board approached the school leaders to explore

First story: July 26

The Katonah Lewisboro school district has been awarded an $80,000 grant from New York State that is earmarked for adding a school resource officer position to the district, officials said Wednesday.

The funds were awarded in June by the New York State legislature. Vice President Charles Day, who is serving as school board spokesman this week while President Mark Lipton is on vacation, said the funds were marked by State Sen. Greg Ball as a "member item," whereby a member of the legislature can allocate funds for a specific purpose.

The board will discuss the specifics of the position and grant terms at its meeting tonight, which starts at 7:30 p.m. in the library.

The purpose of a school resource officer in a school district can include such responsibilities as offering community education programs on laws and drug and alcohol awareness, investigating criminal complaints at the schools and serving as a general resource for students.

"My understanding of that a resource officer is someone who is another adult set of eyes and ears for students," said Day. "They can help ward off trouble before it happens and be another adult guide in a different context than a teacher or administrator."

Day said he was in favor of the proposed position because he remembered his own children and their peers having a positive experience with Officer Frank Secret, who formerly served in that role. The role existed for many years but was eliminated when the town faced financial difficulties.

One concern he had was grant's one-year status. It's not clear yet whether the grant would be renewed by the state or whether the district would then face the budgetary responsibility.

"We'll have to weigh that information, in a tax cap environment, in our decision making," Day said.

Also on the agenda is a discussion led by Alice Cronin, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, who will present a status update on the district's enrollment numbers for this fall. A full agenda is on the district's website.

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