Been there, done that .. sort of
Deja Vu. Sort of. While sitting in the Marion-Florence school board meeting Nov. 11, I had the distinct impression I had lived through this before.
During the summer of 2000, I sat through a school board meeting for a smaller district in north central Kansas where parents and board members were on opposite sides of the alcohol and drug issue.
The main difference between the meeting then and the meeting now is that parents' and board members' positions are flip-flopped.
Back then, most parents in that community were adamant no alcohol or drug problem existed, and the school had no need or right to address the issue. And at the front of the room were several school board members who said these parents "were sticking their heads in the sand."
Here, the roles are reversed. The parents who spoke are adamant a problem exists, while some board members seem to need convincing.
During the months preceding the meeting in that community, several teen "field" parties had been busted, more than one juvenile had been stopped for DUI, and numerous acts of vandalism — most committed by kids under the influence — had occurred.
A goodly share of the problem there was due to mistrust of the sheriff's department (which provided county law enforcement) — a perception many adults encouraged.
So, in an effort to create a trust relationship between kids and law enforcement, the school board, sheriff's office, and county commission sought grant funding to hire a school resource officer (SRO) — a person who would serve as a link between the students and law enforcement.
However, having an SRO was something many parents vehemently opposed.
Some parents said it would create a police state at the middle/high school. Next thing you know, others said, the district will be wanting locker searches and drug testing. A few said it would be an infringement on students' civil rights. Others said "I drank and partied when I was a kid and I turned out all right."
Interesting, how the perception can change from community to community. And the same arguments can be used on either side of the fence.
As to the rest of the story. In that community, the school district applied for and received a grant to fund an SRO position. A couple months ago, however, the district turned down the money because they couldn't find an applicant who would take the job — especially since the sheriff had just been recalled in a special election.
I wonder what "the rest of the story" will turn out to be here?
— KATHY HAGEMAN
