FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County School Board members began discussing Thursday the practical details of placing sheriff’s deputies in all schools.
Sheriff Larry Ashley kicked off the workshop with a short presentation concerning costs and anecdotal evidence about why it was important the School Board finds money to fund the new positions.
“I don’t think we have a filter to keep the criminal element out of our schools,” he said. “We have some measures that do that, but they’re woefully inadequate.”
Ashley’s presentation came nearly a month after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. prompted public safety and school officials across the nation to review their security.
View the presentation Ashley gave to the School Board »
As he spoke, board members nodded and took a few notes about the plan that would call for the school district to pay an additional $565,198 this school year for 26 new school resource officers to man elementary schools.
The district now pays about $550,000 to have 14 deputies in middle and high schools except Choice High School and Technical Center and Lewis School. The Sheriff's Office foots the other portion of the cost currently.
Ashley proposed that the rest of the funding would come from his department and Okaloosa County.
The 26 additional deputies, including two at charter schools, have been in place since before the Christmas holiday. The Sheriff’s Office has absorbed the cost thus far.
School Board members offered their views after Ashley wrapped up his presentation.
Dewey Destin, the newest member, said he supported the idea.
“I want to congratulate you on taking this emergency action,” Destin told Ashley. “Now we have to find out where the money is going to come from and how we can make the best use of the money.”
Cathy Thigpen and board Chairman Rodney Walker also expressed support, and Cindy Frakes asked the district take it a step further.
“I would like to see the district staff do a safety survey,” she said. “We may need to do more than this … I hate to go to a police state and do metal detectors, but I know many schools have.”
Melissa Thrush said that while she applauded efforts to increase school safety, she was concerned where the money would come from.
For the last two years, she said the board has opted to not place resource officers in two secondary schools because the Safe School fund, which they use to pay for the deputies, didn’t cover the cost for them.
“What are we going to cut? What does the community want us to cut?” Thrush asked. “… I would hate for us to implement something only to have it go away again because we’re back at square one because we don’t have the funds.”
According to Chief Financial Officer Rita Scallan, the school district could dip into a contingency reserve fund for this year. She said the Rader Group would foot $45,000 to pay for two deputies at its charter schools.
The board is expected to vote on the funding at its meeting Monday.
“I hate that we’re having this conversation, but we are and we’re going to make a plan, and hopefully it will be one that makes us all feel a little safer,” Thigpen said.
WANT TO ATTEND? The Okaloosa County School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at 120 Lowery Place in Fort Walton Beach.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.