With school shootings occurring around the country, why does Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 not have law enforcement officers in schools at all times to interact with students, teach good habits and drug abuse resistance “and also there’s someone there protecting them at all times,” Alna resident and Fire Chief Mike Trask asked district representatives in Alna March 22.

 

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program ended when it was no longer offered to the schools, not for lack of district funding, Superintendent of Schools Howard Tuttle said about that part of Trask’s question. “We don’t at this point have any officers on the payroll in the schools. But both Kennebec ... and Lincoln (sheriff’s departments) are in our schools quite frequently. If we call them, they’re there ... I’d say it’s a very regular occurrence that officers are in our buildings, talking to kids about good things and bad things. And of course we could always do more with that.”

 

“I think you should put some food for thought (into having them) there all the time,” Trask said. “In this day and age, and environment, I just think it would be a good thing.”

 

Tuttle thanked Trask and said “good point.”

 

Tuttle noted the schools’ outside doors are locked, parents come in only by appointment and there are cameras and other security measures. “So we’re pretty well locked down right now.”

 

Tuttle and district board members Mary Coventry and Richard DeVries of Westport Island, Rick Danforth of Chelsea and Russell Gates of Somerville were at the selectmen’s meeting to present and take any questions and feedback on the proposed 2023-24 budget.

 

Trask raised his questions after representatives described the district’s continuing work to address bullying. 

 

Said Tuttle, “When someone does something wrong we want them to make it right ... We do suspend them, but when they come back they have some tasks in order to make things right for what they have done.”

 

Having cameras now on all the buses has “helped a lot” by showing parents their children’s behavior, DeVries noted. “You are typically going to have parents who say ‘It’s not my child, he wouldn’t do that.’ And then you show them what’s on camera ... There’s a quick change in attitude.”

 

Students are feeling safer, according to data the district has tracked over time, Tuttle said.

 

The budget proposal includes nothing new that is taxpayer-funded, Tuttle said. “We’re just trying to maintain what we have because ... it’s going to be a tough budget year.”

 

 

The district is saving $63,000 by partnering with School Administrative District 40 on adult education and hundreds of thousands of dollars via other regional programs, Tuttle said.

 

The town meeting-style, district budget meeting where voters take up, and can alter, the proposed budget cost center by cost center, is at 6:30 p.m. May 24 at Chelsea Elementary School (CES). “So it’s really important for the public to show up,” Tuttle said. The district-wide budget validation referendum is June 13.

 

Also March 22, selectmen approved Rockland’s Thomas Keister for five years of alewife harvesting and named Jeff Philbrick to Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission’s board and Les Fossel as an alternate.