Schools
Policy Committee Continues SRO Research for Weston Schools
The Board of Education was scheduled to hear a report on a Student Resource Officer at the meeting canceled on Monday.
Administrators are studying neighboring districts as they decide whether Weston's schools would best be suited with the addition of a Student Resource Officer.
In a report that was scheduled to be presented to the Board of Education Monday before the meeting was canceled due to inclement weather in the forecast, the administration defined a draft of the would-be SRO's job description, should the district choose to adopt that position.
According to a document sent by the district to Patch, the SRO would:
Find out what's happening in Weston-Redding-Eastonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
-
Develop and present, on a regular basis, law education materials that can be integrated into the existing curriculum established by the Board of Education.
-
Confer with administrators and faculty to develop response plans and provide appropriate training related to dangerous situations on or near campus. Act as a team leader to coordinate safety drills and security training.
Find out what's happening in Weston-Redding-Eastonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Act as a resource for teachers, counselors, parents and students for conferences on an individual basis to provide guidance and intervention strategies to students and parents who can benefit from such assistance.
Coordinate security concerns that originate on campus and off campus at schoolsponsored events.
Maintain a high visibility, through a proactive approach, to establish student and staff contacts to help establish a secure environment and to address securityrelated problems on campus. Generate innovative responses to, or referral for, the resolution of these problems.
Act as a mentor and role model to students. Serve as a member of school committees and community organizations.
Take law enforcement action as necessary consistent with Board of Education Policy and Administrative Regulations, and when possible, advise the principal before requesting additional law enforcement assistance on campus.
According to the document, of the six other school districts in the district reference group, four of them have SROs. Ridgefield has had one for 16 years, Wilton for 14 years, New Canaan for five years and Darien for one. There aren't SROs in Westport or at Joel Barlow High School in Redding.
In addition to the aforementioned job description, the SRO could be integrated into the curriculum at all grade levels for health education, psychology, forensics, physical education and American government, according to the document.
"The Policy Committee is now prepared to move from the factfinding phase of this inquiry to an identification of the unique security priorities to Weston Public Schools and the appropriateness of an SRO in addressing these security issues," the document says.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.