Larry Penkava
Staff Writer
ASHEBORO —
A school board budget session came down to whether or not to cut school resource officers.
The answer was no.
In a special session Monday night, the Randolph County Board of Education considered how to cut $240,562 from the budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
They started out with three options, two of which would have eliminated one or two school resource officers (SROs).
Option #1 included cutting officers at Braxton Craven School in Trinity as well as another at either Southwestern Randolph High or Middle. It also included elimination of four weeks of summer reimbursement and transfer of $90,562 from textbook carryover funds.
Option #2 would have eliminated the Braxton Craven SRO, given the Sheriff’s Office a year’s notice of an additional $100,000 reduction and transfer of $190,562 from textbooks. The third option was to transfer the entire $240,562 from textbooks.
On hand for the meeting were Sheriff Maynard Reid and Capt. Aundrea Azelton, who supervises the SROs. All SROs are sworn deputy sheriffs.
The board discussed a number of ideas for reducing costs, including closing schools for one or two weeks during the summer months. But the overriding feeling was that eliminating SROs could result in less safety for children.
“It’s about like cutting teachers,” said Grady Lawson. “I would like to see the SROs kept. I’d hate to have something happen (without a SRO on campus). It’d be on my conscience.”
“When you have (an officer) there, (the children) respect that,” Gary Cook said.
“It’s a positive to have one on campus,” said Paul Guthrie, who is a retired teacher. He said he had always felt safer with a SRO at school.
“I’ll do whatever you say,” Reid told the board. “My main concern ... is the safety of the children.”
Reid brought up an incident that occurred at John Lawrence Elementary during the past school year in which the Braxton Craven SRO was the first on the scene and locked down the school. He said she also fills in at other schools in the area besides working at Braxton Craven.
Chairman Matthew Lambeth suggested that the Sheriff’s Office hold off on buying two of three used Highway Patrol cars, for a savings of $15,562.
Along with that, he advised taking $115,000 from textbooks and $100,000 from fund balance.
“It’s a hard job to balance this out,” Reid said. “If you say cut two cars, we’ll do that.”
Azelton said the used patrol cars will be the last Ford Crown Victorias that the Highway Patrol will use and they’re going at a good price.
“I don’t know if we’ll get this kind of deal (in the future),” she said.
Lambeth said the school board has “asked everyone to sacrifice. I don’t think this is as great a sacrifice (cars instead of SROs). He said the board would vote on the cuts at their regular meeting next Monday night.
Following a closed session after the budget work session, Judith Heffner was named principal of Level Cross Elementary School.
She is currently assistant principal of Robbins Elementary School in Moore County.
