Schools to Decide Long-Term Security Plans in Putnam

In the weeks following the Sandy Hook Massacre school districts throughout Putnam County worked with local law enforcement agencies to increase security in the buildings and classrooms. As districts work on their 2013-14 budgets decisions need to be made for the future.

At the Putnam County Legislature’s Protective Committee meeting last Wednesday, stake holders met to determine the best course of action for the school districts and what kind of support the county could provide.

Putnam County currently splits the cost of seven deputies who act as school resource officers (SRO) with the respective school districts. Putnam Valley School District has one SRO that is shared between its high school and middle school. Brewster, Carmel and Mahopac school districts each one deputy at the high school and another working at the middle school.

After the Dec. 14 shooting of 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School , the Brewster School District added an additional SRO out of its own pocket to be stationed at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

An SRO costs approximately $100,000 a year. The cost includes salary and the benefit package. SROs also have what is referred to as a legacy cost, which is the costs involved with a company paying increased healthcare fees and other benefit-related costs for its current employees and retired pensioners.

The responsibilities of an SRO according to Sheriff Don Smith “are to educate, keep law enforcement and to counsel.”

Mahopac School District, which intends on keeping its existing SROs, is considering the addition of four special patrol officers (SPO) to work at its elementary schools.

“Our parents were adamant that they want to see more armed, uniformed people at the elementary school level,” said Mahopac Superintendent of Schools Thomas Manko. “We are considering the use of special patrol officers.”

SPOs are retired first responders who work part time in the school setting. They are in uniform and are armed.  The role of an SPO would be to monitor the outside perimeter of a building as well as the inside.

SPOs are paid approximately $30,000 a year and do not have a benefits package or any legacy costs associated with them. It would cost money to train and equipment SPOs, who would not be considered deputies.

“For as much as we would love to have SROs in every school,” said Donald Beverly, assistant superintendent of human resources for Mahopac.  “This option gives us almost all of the benefits of having an SRO without some of the training. It seemed like an affordable solution and the direction we need to go.”

The district said that it could cover the cost of the SPO, but it would need assistance with interviewing candidates and training them.

Putnam Valley School District is requesting an additional SRO and Brewster would like help paying for the one it has added on its own.  Garrison School District has inquired about getting an SRO for the first time.

Dr. Stephen Jambor, president of the Brewster School District, admitted that his district was looking at a $3.1 million deficit in the next budget cycle. “I do not have the dollars, I am admitting that, but I believe that SROs are educators… They have to be part of the education team, not just walking around scaring folks.”

Dr. Jane Sandbanks, superintendent of Brewster School District, agreed. “I do not think that a retired law enforcement person could come close to achieving the same benefit to the children as an SRO,” she said.

Sandbanks also said that because all three of the schools within her district fall within a quart-mile of each other the safety of all 3,400 students is on the line if a situation arises in any particular school.

No one suggested reducing the number of SROs that the county has already committed. However, District Attorney Adam Levy, who lives in Brewster, disagreed with Sandbanks’ point of view pertaining to the SPOs.

Levy, who has worked as a prosecutor for over 20 years, said that many retired investigators from the special victims unit would jump at the opportunity to work part time at the schools.

“It takes a special type of person to choose to go into special victims… They have a true love and dedication to the protection of children… They would love to be helping and protecting kids on a part-time basis,” he said.

Sheriff Smith noted that no matter which options the county approved, he did not have enough money in his budget his line to continue helping without some financial assistance from the county.

Leg. Sam Oliverio, who is the assistant principal of Putnam Valley High School, was torn.

“If I was not sitting in this seat [as a legislator] with the need to worry about being fiscally conservative, I would say SROs for everyone,” he said. “But I also have constituents who are on a fixed income and are worried about losing their homes.”

Many of the legislators agreed.

“The big concern is over legacy costs,” said Leg. Richard Othmer. “They go on and on every year and are compounding. The legacy costs are going to end up bankrupting not only the county but the school districts too.

Leg. Anthony DiCarlo, who is an administrator for the Tuckahoe School District, pointed out a hole in both the SRO and SPO plans.

“Schools are still open after students leave,” he said. “Because these tragedies have happened during school hours does not mean that schools are not exposed after school.”

Sandbanks answered DiCarlo. “I wish we could do everything for everybody, but my priority has to be during school hours,” she said.

DiCarlo also brought up how the expense of the increased security also pushed the limit of the two-percent tax cap.

“You cannot just add services at the county level or as shared service with a two-percent tax cap,” he said. “If people want it they have to be willing to stand up and say that [the tax cap] is just unacceptable.”

He added, “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter is it is the school district that is paying for it or the county. It is still coming out of the same pocket.”

Leg. Roger Gross, who chairs the protective committee and is a former Brewster educator, said that he understood that each district had its own distinct needs. He recommended each district submit their request to the legislature as soon as possible.  The legislature would then let the districts know what the county could financially afford to contribute to each district’s plan.