What Centre County school board candidates think about police in schools, other safety measures
Editor’s note: The Centre Daily Times recently sent a survey to all school board candidates with questions about a number of issues. Twenty four candidates responded and 18 did not. We have published their unedited responses, which were limited to 1200 characters. We will publish additional responses in other stories.
With the May 16 primary election fast approaching, the Centre Daily Times recently asked school board candidates to weigh in on school safety issues and the role of school security officers.
All five Centre County districts employ some form of school safety, whether it be school resource officers or school police officers. Although day-to-day tasks may look similar, school resource officers are municipal police that are contracted out to the district while school police are employed by the district. School police officers are their own municipal force employed by school districts, often made up of retired municipal and state police.
The role of police in schools has been debated across the county. Some educators have questions about the effectiveness of SROs when it comes to school safety, while others worry about the damaging effects on minority students. Studies from the ACLU found that historically, school law enforcement has disproportionally targeted students of color and students with disabilities.
But with school shootings on the rise, some believe a strong law enforcement presence in schools is necessary.
Recently, local districts have planned community events to discuss school law enforcement. Penns Valley held meetings for local community members to meet SPOs that started in April after a monthslong process for the district to form its own police force. State College’s Community Oversight Board recently hosted a forum on SROs in State College Area schools to look at its impacts on students and the community.
We asked candidates their position on SROs and SPOs in schools. Their unedited answers are below.
State College Area School District candidates
Amy Bader — This is a complex issue that requires districts evaluate their unique circumstances – there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach, in my opinion. How do we make our school communities safe? What are proven methods? How is the well-being of individuals impacted? These are critical questions. SCASD has evidence that secondary school SROs are a valuable resource to administrators in dealing with a variety of circumstances (medical emergencies, traffic accidents). When adolescents occasionally engage in activities that necessitate the involvement of law enforcement, the availability of an SRO and their relationships in the school can be an asset. Additionally, SROs are key members of the team that continually evaluates all district buildings for safety. However, it is clear while some community members feel safer due to the presence of SROs, others most certainly do not. In considering this concern, the board and administration have worked to clearly define the required training and expectations for SCASD SROs. Additionally, we have made it clear that the SRO has NO role in student discipline. I support continued efforts to engage our community in an on-going dialogue on this issue.
Nathan Bish — SROs are a crucial part to any building and district.
Gretchen Brandt — The SROs in SCASD are a great source of relationship building between, teachers, staff, students and the SROS, and help build community within the schools.
Anne Demo — We all want our children, teachers, and school staff to be and feel safe. My position on SROs has evolved as I’ve learned more. I follow news about effective measures to prevent gun violence, such as safe gun storage at homes and access control measures in schools and classrooms. I met with State High’s Officer Aston before my child’s scheduled extracurricular trip to Boston about advice for city safety. I listened in the community meetings to secondary school staff members who feel safer with SROs and students who don’t. While door-knocking last weekend, I heard from a father concerned about how SCASD vets contracted SPOs. My position is that SCASD elementary schools should not be assigned SROs. The SROs in secondary schools should play no role in school discipline or immigration enforcement. SROs should be well-integrated into the school community, be answerable to school administrators, and be trained in mental health/crisis intervention, disability awareness, QPR (suicide prevention), implicit bias, and restorative justice. SCASD currently follows all these policy recommendations. I also support a process for regular input from identified school and community stakeholders.
Daniel Kolbe — Clear guidelines are needed to ensure that SROs promote safety without negatively impacting schools, trainings on de-escalation, cultural competence, and bias avoidance. Oversight committees can monitor SRO activities.
John Krajcovic — Safety is the most important priority in school. I support an appropriate number of SROs/SPOs based on the number of students at the buildings. Effort to calm the fears of uncomfortable students and their families must be made by holding events to acquaint students and families with the SROs/SPOs. Examples would be a school cookout, pickup sports, or other games (where students are grouped with the SROs/SPOs) where uncomfortable families and students could meet and get to know the SROs/SPOs. The SROs/SPOs could also greet kids at the door in the morning or mingle during lunch. Selecting candidates with the right personality and conflict resolution skills for the job would be very important. I believe the school needs to take hiring very seriously and should thoroughly vet applicants for these positions.
Aaron Miller — SROs and SPOs can be a valuable part of our schools provided that their role is clearly defined and they’re not a distraction to the educational mission. The cost of adding more SROs may be prohibitive with limited ROI.
Michelle Young — I support SROs in our district. Go to facebook.com/young4scasd2023 for more information.
Laurel Zydney — I take seriously parental concerns about children being afraid and anxious when they see an armed officer in the school or a police car parked in front. SROs should have district-approved extra de-escalation and anti-bias training and work within an agreed-upon job description developed with community input. Other parents and students have reported positive experiences and outcomes from interacting with SRO. Overall, I think SROs are an effective model of community policing, i.e. ”strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime” (DOJ). Even though SCASD is fortunate that law enforcement can get to our schools in minutes, a SRO who is intimately acquainted with school layouts and personnel can improve response when seconds count. The SRO also plays an important role in monitoring and implementing best practices for greater school safety and in assessing and responding to Safe2Say calls.
Barry Fenchak and Megan Layng did not respond to the survey.
Primary election 2023 voters guide: Candidates for school board in State College & Bellefonte
Bellefonte Area School District candidates
Jennifer Barnhart — SROs/SPOs is a tragic realization of how scary our schools have become for all. I hope they are never needed but appreciate the precautionary nature. I am thankful for those building strong, trusting relationships that go above and beyond.
Patrick Buck — I believe that the presence of SROs and SPOs in schools are essential to ensure the safety of the students, teachers, and staff. These officers can also cultivate a positive image and relationship between students and law enforcement.
Nate Campbell — Bellefonte’s current SROs are doing a great job, from teaching young students about the dangers of internet to becoming another resource in the older grades. The recent swatting incident proved just how necessary they are to help protect students.
Julie Fitzgerald — I have been a strong, vocal advocate for maintaining a School Resource Officer presence in the school. I believe SROs are an important and valuable partner within the educational setting. The SROs have established trust and developed positive relationships with students and staff in an effort to help the school community maintain safe learning environments. The SROs have also provided valuable education to students and parents on various topics that relate to keeping kids safe including cyber safety, drugs and alcohol. Because of the relationships established and proximity to the students, SROs are able to address many issues within the schools before they become escalated to more traditional law enforcement agents.
Darrell Sharp — Given the current state of our society, the SROs are almost necessary at this point. We should be doing everything possible to keep everyone safe at school. This is not free, and the board should be looking at the finances to make this a reality.
Donna Smith — Their presence in our schools has been invaluable. From incident prevention to education to relationship building, our SROs have been an overwhelmingly positive addition to our district.
Kimberly Weaver — I believe that our schools should have SROs and SPO. If we need to allocate more funds for school safety, then so be it. Our staff and student safety should be one of our top priorities.
Joe Yech — SROs in the BASD serve many purposes; they provide a protective service, they provide training, and they help educate students. I appreciate their service to the school and community. I support their continued employment in the school system.
Denelle Korn, Timothy Kessling and Paul Dombrowski did not respond to the survey.
Bald Eagle Area School District candidates
Erica Danneker — Having SROs and SPOs in the school setting is a sensitive and complex topic that many people feel passionate about and any decisions about this topic require careful consideration. School board members have a responsibility to educate themselves and the school community on the topic, but more importantly to listen to the school community including students, faculty and staff, administration and parents in order to come to an acceptable decision. Regardless of the decision, adequate resources are needed to handle student disciplinary issues, promote safety and security and to provide social-emotional support to students rather than relying solely on law enforcement interventions.
Gary Heverly Jr. — As a school employee who works closely with a School Resource Officer daily, I see the vital role he plays in keeping our campus safe and secure, providing professional development, offering informal mentoring and counseling, and coordinating threat assessment and crisis management involving first responders across the county. Priority number one for all school districts is to return every student home safely after a full day of comprehensive education. Having a School Resource Officer not only helps to accomplish this, but it also brings an added element of protection and ease of mind to those in our schools. I believe SROs are a necessity in today’s schools and districts that are spread out across several miles like BEA should strongly consider having one in each building.
Jason Penland — In today’s world, essential. If their only job was to protect the school from acts of violence they would be justified. They also specialize in helping with disciplinary matters that would otherwise take instruction time from faculty and admin.
Molly Hoover and Brandi Bartley did not respond to the survey.
Penns Valley Area School District candidates
Kim Kellerman-Domin — I am in support of SROs and SPOs in our schools. My husband (a retired LEO) and I spoke at numerous board and town hall meetings in support of hiring SROs and/or SPOs at Penns Valley. In fact, it was during a district comprehensive planning meeting over a year ago that I brought up the need to have SROs in our schools. Hiring the personnel, however, is only the first step towards providing a greater level of protection for our students and staff. Our SPOs will require ongoing training/resources so as to best support our students/staff and this is something that I will continue to support.
Michael Pase — I believe every school district should have SPOs for the safety of the students, faculty and staff.
Celesta Powell, Molly Miller, Dan Hall, Karla Groy, Daniel Pick, Domer Smeltzer, Nickelaus Engle and Scott Butler did not respond.
Philipsburg Osceola Area candidates
Tiffany Warlow — Keeping our students safe must be our number one priority! Schools must be safe for student learning to occur. Every single person coming into our buildings — students, teachers, staff, and visitors need to feel safe when in our buildings.
Tim Bainey, Todd Jeffries and Alexander Boumerhi did not respond to the survey.
