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Schools to negotiate deal for resource officer

SALEM

Superintendent Dr. Joe Shivers received the green light to negotiate a contract for a school resource officer from the city of Salem, saying he’ll recommend a three-year deal to cover at least 69 to 70 percent of the cost for a new police patrolman.

The school board agreed Monday to authorize him to negotiate the contract, which will still require board approval once the deal is struck.

“I want to see the numbers for it,” board member Ted Bricker said.

During a special meeting before the regular board meeting, Shivers updated board members on a presentation he made with Salem Police Chief J.T. Panezott to members of city council’s Finance Committee recently regarding the idea of a school resource officer. Both had emphasized that there’s more to a school resource officer than just a police officer looking for bad guys.

The school resource officer will be just that, a resource for students who need someone to talk with about their concerns and a resource for staff. Besides being able to keep an eye on what’s happening at the schools, the school resource officer can offer programming regarding the use of social media, drugs or other concerns, talk with students and just be there.

Board vice president LuAnn Haddad said the title of school resource officer is such a broad description. She checked out a website recommended by the chief regarding school resource officers and what they do and she noted they have training in autism and mental health.

“It’s not just an armed guard,” she said.

The board had previously discussed the idea of a school resource officer last month. During city council’s Finance Committee meeting, council members on the committee indicated favoring the idea of a full-time school resource officer and the hiring of a new officer to fill the open spot on patrol. The idea as presented was that the resource officer would work eight hours a day five days a week at the schools when in session. When school’s out, the officer would continue working with the young people in the community, such as going to the city parks in the summer.

The city also indicated a desire for a multi-year contract of three to five years.

Shivers said the split he’ll suggest on cost will be based on a 180-day school year against a 260-day work year, with the percentage coming out to 69 to 70 percent or about $45,000 of a beginning officer’s probationary salary of $66,590 to start.

The website Panezott had recommended was the ohio school resource officers association website at www.osroa.org. The department currently uses full-time Patrolman Rich Miller as a part-time juvenile officer who spends as much time as possible in the schools now while also answering calls. A 40-hour training course for school resource officers is scheduled for July in Columbus.

The school resource officer would rotate between the junior high/high school and the elementary schools, but no one would know the schedule except for a few people. Other officers would still randomly show up at schools, also.

In other business, Shivers issued a reminder of upcoming events, including the first-ever Salem Career Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday for students and their parents to meet with Salem area manufacturers, in conjunction with the first-ever Pasta for a Buck event from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Wednesday, with both in the high school cafeteria. The $1-a-plate menu includes rigatoni with marinara sauce, garden salad, roll and dessert. Then on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon, Salem students will present “Anything Goes” in the school auditorium.

Shivers remarked on the announcement by Rich Hart that he was stepping away from the boys varsity basketball position he’s held the past eight years, taking two teams to the district semi-finals during his tenure.

“Rich did a great job for us. We’re sorry to see him go. We thank him for everything he did for our Salem program,” Shivers said.

The meeting kicked off with a program by Southeast School students and staff regarding technology and how they’re both making daily use of the Chromebook notebook computers purchased last year. Principal Lisa DeRose thanked the board, saying not a day goes by that the students aren’t using the technology for assignments and to check their own progress, which she said gives them ownership in their grades because they can see how turning in an assignment or studying makes a difference.

During Quaker Time, which is a 30-minute block each day, students can use the technology for tutoring themselves, for accelerated classes or for technology exploration. Band students have used the time to learn about reading musical notes, another student worked on exploring 3-D printing and another worked on coding and created a game.

Fifth grade teacher Michelle Kosko talked about Google Classroom and how the program helps teachers track the students and their progress. They can make assignments, ask questions and tell right away who’s got it and who doesn’t when it comes to understanding what’s being taught. DeRose said the students also use the technology to prepare for state testing, which begins this week.

Students who prepared the presentation included Austin Herr, Hensley Nicholson, Evan Jones, Garrett Menough, Luke Davis and Lana Tonkinson.

In personnel matters, the board approved limited contracts for 53 teachers, a continuing contract for one teacher, non-renewed three positions, which is normal for those positions each year, approved the hiring of John McKee and Austin Noel as summer help for maintenance and extended the contract of Amy Johnson by 40 hours and if needed, another 20 hours to work in the technology department. The board approved Mills-Holloway Insurance Agency for the student accident insurance program, Dana Ackerman as a junior high track volunteer, named workers for the spring sporting events and district track and field meets, named teachers to the ELA curriculum committee and approved a substitute.

For the Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing, the board rescinded the contract for Stephanie Everet as a full-time instructor and approved hiring Lynn Emma Miles as a clinical instructor, Cindy King as STNA Coordinator and Lynne Conn as STNA Instructor.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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