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Hernando Today

Challenger Won't Lose School Resource Officer

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: September 20, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - School resource officers do a lot more than make arrests and investigate infractions at Hernando County schools.

They also present programs related to law enforcement and social problems for students and set a positive example for youngsters, which is why school board member Diane Bonfield felt it wasn't right to let Spring Hill's Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics go without one.

Tuesday night, she persuaded her fellow school board members to pay nearly $60,000 of district dollars to add an SRO this year at Challenger, which staff initially had left off the list of schools receiving SROs due to a lack of arrests.

"Our SROs serve a vital role beyond arresting students," Bonfield said. "They do everything from reading to kids to helping load busses to running (drug prevention) programs. I really feel we would be remiss by removing the position."

Instead of adding an additional SRO for the district's newest school, Explorer K-8 in Spring Hill, staff recommended that the board move Challenger's SRO to Explorer to avoid adding additional costs to the district's budget.

But that didn't fly, failing by a 2-2 vote. Minutes later, an amended request passed 4-0 after Bonfield made a motion to include an additional Hernando County Sheriff's Deputy to Challenger as an SRO.

"The money was there in the budget," she said. "We provide and SRO for all of the county's other comprehensive middle schools, and I'm just grateful the rest of the board thought this was (necessary), too."

Now, the request must go back to the sheriff's department, where last year's "floater" SRO, who previously floated between schools when others were sick or on vacation, has already been returned to road patrol.

"I'm hoping we're able to fill that position," Bonfield said.

Under the previous plan, the district would have paid the sheriff's office $410,200 for an SRO at the county's four middle schools, alternative school and two K-8 schools.

Now, that amount will likely increase to $468,000, student services director Jim Knight told the board Tuesday.

From 2006-08, SROs arrested 734 students at area middle and high schools. Central High School garnered the most arrests with 162, while Challenger K-8 had the least with seven, according to district documents.

However, Bonfield said she was surprised to learn that the SRO had already been removed from Challenger prior to the board's approval.

"I would think any position would remain at a school unless the board has taken action to make changes," she said. "When I called the school Tuesday morning, I learned they had not had an SRO there since the beginning of the year."

While there still will not be an SRO at Hernando County's alternative school, STAR Education Center in Brooksville, the school has auxiliary personnel who are trained to take care of policing issues. Enrollment is also not expected to rise beyond 60 students, officials said.

The sheriff's office will continue paying for SROs at Hernando County's four public high schools, but have said they will no longer pay for a floating SRO. Also, the sergeant who previously oversaw the SROs has been placed back on road patrol, and all SROs will now respond to the division commander of the area where their assigned school is located.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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