Schools bracing for D.A.R.E.'s absence
By Staff
Melissa Cason
The Franklin County Sheriff's Department announced in October that its Drug Awareness Resistance Education program was in jeopardy due to a lack of funding for the program.
Since its formation in Franklin County, the program has been funded through the sheriff's department budget and through private donations. The donations were used to purchase materials and items for the program while the sheriff's department paid the D.A.R.E. officer's salary so that he could go into the schools to teach the youth about the dangers of drugs.
Sheriff Larry Plott and D.A.R.E. Officer Mike Franklin approached both the Russellville City Schools and the Franklin County Board of Education to partner with the sheriff's department to keep D.A.R.E. in the schools.
Russellville schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne Ray and county schools Superintendent Bill Moss are both strong advocates of the D.A.R.E. program, but have not been able to commit to funding the program because of the possibility of another round of proration.
"We have already been warned to prepare for proration in 2009 so funds will be tight for all schools, not just our system," Franklin County schools Assistant Superintendent Gary Williams said.
With the likelihood that DARE may be a thing of the past for our county, the question is how will the county and city schools improve their drug awareness and education programs in the absence of D.A.R.E.
Nancy Cooper, coordinator of the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program in Russellville, said that no one in the system has approached her to discuss what actions should be taken if D.A.R.E. is not funded for next year.
"D.A.R.E. and Safe and Drug Free Schools are two different programs, but D.A.R.E. is a worthwhile program," Cooper said. "But, I don't know how the schools would deal with more drug education in the schools."
Franklin County Community Education Director Susan Hargett did not have a solution either.
"We operate from grant money, and all of our grants that we currently have are geared toward grades seven through 12," Hargett said. "We have applied for grants for the younger students but there is no guarantee that we will get them in time for next year."
Both Cooper and Hargett agree that the D.A.R.E. program needs to stay in place in order to educate our youth, but with funding an issue, it may not be possible.
"It all comes down to funding," Hargett said.
"I feel like with the schools getting ready for proration, we need to look to the private sector for funding."
Hargett said that businesses and community organizations who are privately funded are the program's best bet to keep D.A.R.E. in the schools.
"It's not just about teaching students," Hargett said. "It's about teaching students to trust law enforcement.
The city schools will continue to have law enforcement in the schools, but there will be no officers in the county schools should DARE not be there, and it's important to have officers in our schools."
While no one really has any answers about what will happen in regards to drug education should D.A.R.E. become extinct, all law enforcement agencies in the county continue to bring in more and more drug cases proving that drug education is essential for Franklin County.
