SCHOOLS: Newfane opts out of SRO contract

Local News

June 3, 2009

By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:joe.olenick@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Joe</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Wed Jun 03, 2009, 07:00 PM EDT

NEWFANE — Newfane is going shopping for a school resource officer.

The Board of Education decided Tuesday to opt out of its current contract with the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department. A 12-month contract signed earlier in the year, it had a clause that said Newfane had the choice to opt out at any time with a 30-day notice. After some more discussion, the district will eventually be sending out a request for proposals, or going to bid out, the position to find an economical way to fill it.

“We’re now in the process of developing the RFP and we’re going to see what we can get,” Newfane Superintendent Gary Pogorzelski said.

Currently, Newfane’s school resource officer is Deputy Joe Flagler. Flagler has been serving in the position for five years. Pogorzelski said the decision to opt out of the contract was based completely on finding the lowest price for the position, it had nothing to do with Flagler’s performance. The contract, which wasn’t bid out originally, was for $75,000 and would have ended Dec. 31.

“We are very happy with the current program — this is completely financial,” Pogorzelski said. “The board didn’t feel right paying for an SRO in the summer.”

The SRO position has come up a few times during previous board meetings, with a number of residents concerned about the cost of the position and having an SRO on duty during the summer. The district’s safety committee did an evaluation of different options for filling the SRO position and sought input from students, teachers, parents and community members.

When the committee presented its findings in February, the popular choice was a full-time state trooper or deputy in the role of the SRO.

Determining a job description for the position, as well as the RFP, still has to be figured out. Pogorzelski said the SRO position and developing the proposal will be discussed further at the next school board meeting on June 16.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

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