MECHANICSBURG – Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools will have a school resource officer in the building for the upcoming school year.
The board approved a service agreement with the Mechanicsburg Police Department to have an officer at the district for the 2016-17 school year at its Tuesday meeting. The officer is being provided as part of a $5,206 Ohio Attorney General’s Office grant to the police department. The grant would pay for half the costs associated with providing the officer for 17 hours a week, as the Urbana Daily Citizen previously reported.
The school board approved $15,000 toward bringing the officer into the district. The amount is to pay the police department for additional hours so the resource officer can be on site for all school hours, Treasurer Scott Maruniak said. The officer would be at all school buildings, but may do more at the high school and middle schools. The cost is being paid through the district’s general fund.
A part of the police grant specifically addresses “life skills” curriculum for district’s fourth graders, Superintendent Danielle Prohaska said. The district already has this curriculum for older students. The resource officer will be trained in offering the curriculum to students.
“The district feels that prevention and relationships are both critical to the success of our students, families, and the community,” she said. “This addition to our staff is a direct result of those priorities. We are fortunate that our local police department has been in support of this position from the get go and actively sought the grant to make this happen.”
In other action, the board:
•Approved minutes and financial statements.
•Approved participation in the MEC Cooperative Bus Purchasing Program for 2016-17 and authorized bidding through this program for one 78-passenger conventional school bus.
•Approved a school proclamation that Sept. 17-23, 2016 will be officially recognized by the district as Constitution Week, celebrating the 229th signing of the Declaration of Independence.
•Approved a leave of absence for maternity leave for teacher Lindsay Wagner.
•Approved a corrected non-teaching contract for student aide Debbie Lowe.
•Approved the extended day contract for Ag Education Teacher/FFA Advisor Kevin Neer for 13 days, as part of the 5th Quarter Grant.
•Approved advancing teacher Lindsay Wagner to the Masters column of the salary schedule.
•Approved volunteers for the 2016-17 school year.
•Approved substitutes for the 2016-17 school year.
