Pembina Hills Public Schools trustees are again actively seeking partners to help fund a School Resource Officer (SRO) position in the Westlock area as part of a three-year pilot project.
Pembina Hills has long advocated for the establishment of an SRO in the Westlock area, similar to the SRO that currently serves schools in the Barrhead area.
Trustee Kim Webster alluded to this fact during the board’s May 10 meeting in Barrhead where trustees voted to seek SRO partners, noting the discussion has been ongoing for nearly as long as she’s been on the board.
However, the roadblock has always been funding, as it costs an estimated $224,000 per year to fund an SRO.
Only about 30 per cent, roughly $67,000, is contributed by the province, leaving 70 per cent to be covered by local municipalities and organizations.
An SRO is a law enforcement officer that works directly with students and teachers in schools and they typically oversee programs such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and anti-bullying initiatives, but they are also intended to serve as role models and mentors.
They can also act in their actual capacity as a law enforcement officer in schools when the situation calls for it, and will serve as an additional RCMP officer on non-school days, which equates to about 16 per cent of the year.
Westlock County and the Village of Clyde have indicated in the past they are willing to contribute funding, but the Town of Westlock has declined.
During board planning earlier this spring, chair Jennifer Tuininga said the trustees again discussed the possibility of piloting an SRO program for the Westlock area.
Tuininga noted they are all aware of the positive impact that the Barrhead SRO has had on local schools.
Trustee Jackie Comeau added: “If we didn’t think this was important, we would just have let it go a long time ago, but we really feel strongly about this.”
Trustee Jan Hoffart said she did bring up the topic at a May 9 school council meeting and will also be bringing up the topic at a Westlock CONEX meeting May 17 — CONEX is effectively the new Westlock and District Drug Task Force.
“I think that the more we get the word out that we’re looking for partnerships, perhaps the businesses in the town and the county will want to chip in,” Hoffart said.
She noted the division had offered during a municipal partners’ meeting to fund up to 75 per cent of the cost for a three-year pilot SRO.
However, Tuininga said there could be some discussion about how much they’re willing to fund, noting the Westlock SRO is something they would like established long term.
“I would love to see us go forward, even if it can’t look the same,” said Webster.
However, she expressed some hesitation at PHPS funding the three-year pilot project all on its own, as the benefits of an SRO extend beyond the school.
“It is not just a school project. It benefits the whole community,” she said.
Trustees briefly discussed how to get the word out more about the benefits of the SRO and the need for partners to chip in.
Acting Supt. David Garbutt indicated their communications person will be working on highlighting the role of the SRO on their website.
Tuininga suggested that they should also have a motion on the books about seeking potential partners.
However, the board decided not to reference within the motion what amount of funding Pembina Hills is willing to contribute to the three-year pilot.
