Resource officers in jeopardy
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

GBHS Resource Officer Mark Lyster

Santa Rosa County Schools may have fewer resource officers from the Sheriff Dept. next year walking school halls and teaching D.A.R.E. (drug abuse prevention program) classes. But the decision on how many the school will have is a long way from being made. That's what Nancy Padgett, member of the district's administrative staff, told the school board Thursday, June 28.

"Suddenly last week media people started calling, asking if we were cutting back on school resource officers. I do not know how it even hit the media that were had a meeting to dis- cuss the budget situation surrounding resource officers next year. But no decision has been made -- I had not even had the chance to tell you board members that we were looking at the situation."

Padgett explained there are several factors coming together all at the same time that made them take a close look at what the budget for resource officers would be for next year. "We had a meeting two weeks ago with the Sheriff. I had taken the costs of the resource officers program from 2005-06 and from 2006- 07 and then the projected costs of 2007-08. We compared budget information and concerns, and agreed to meet again after the legislature decided what they were doing about the property taxes."

Padgett explained, "Part of the problem with funding this program is several of the resource officers we now have working in the schools are funded through a COPS grant program the Sheriff gets. BUT. . . when that grant expires, we have resource officers working that are not funded any more. So to keep them the Sheriff has to come up with half of their salary and benefits and the school district has to come up with the other half. Last year we already had to dip into our school safety funds to keep the officers we had. When I realized four more officers were coming off the grant program this next year, I knew we needed to talk to the Sheriff to see what his budget looked like, especially in light of the decisions being made about tax cuts."

The property tax cuts made b the state legislature would not have an affect on the school district's budget, but it may have an affect on the Sheriff's budget.

School Supt. John Rogers said, "Our first priority, of course, is to keep all our resource officers. But we have to look to see what can be done if we do have to cut any."

Padgett said the also had the Milton Police Chief at the meeting with the Sheriff, to see how the Milton police force might be able to teach some DARE classes next year and take over some other duties if need be.

Supt. Rogers said if they had to cut any positions of the school officers, they would start at the level of the elementary schools around the county, and try to leave all the high school officers in place.