School officer funding nixed

May 6, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - Plans to have a uniformed police officer patrol four Wasilla schools next year are in jeopardy after federal grant money fell through.

The city of Wasilla and Mat-Su Borough School District had agreed to work together to make the safety resource officer a reality by next year.

That goal hinged on a $125,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Community-Oriented Policing program.

Last month, the district and city of Wasilla received notice that those funds were no longer available.

"We're still hoping to take this forward with a partnership with the school district," Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage said. "Whether we can financially support it, remains to be seen."

Under the original plan, the school district agreed to contribute $100,000 for the program over a three-year trial period, which would allow one police officer to patrol four Wasilla schools. The city of Wasilla was going to pitch in just over $33,000 and the federal grant of $125,000 would have paid the rest, for a total price tag of nearly $258,000.

According to Savage, the Wasilla police department included funds for the officer in its proposed budget for next year. It remains to be seen, however, whether the Mat-Su Borough will be able to pick up the rest of the tab.

Lebron McPhail, the school district's director of education, has met with Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller and other city and school officials over the past few months to work toward bringing the school officer on board by this fall.

Since the funding fell through, how-ever, McPhail said those plans are uncertain.

"We haven't talked with Mayor Keller yet on where things are at," he said. "At this point we are waiting to see where we are with the school budget. The way the program works is beautiful. But at this point there is no money."

For the last three years, the school district and Wasilla Police Department discussed the potential of having an officer assigned to Wasilla High School, Wasilla Middle School, Burchell High School and Iditarod Elementary School.

According to the proposed plan, worked out between the city and the school district, the officer would patrol schools during the academic year and then patrol parks and other popular gathering places for youths during the summer.

School safety officers typically address violence in schools, vandalism, drug use and other school crimes. They are also commonly used to provide security and teach certain select classes dealing with student safety issues.

Contact Joel Davidson at 352-2266, or joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.