By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — As a resident and as a parent with children in the school system, Naples Select Board Chairman Ted Shane said he won’t vote for a school budget that doesn’t include a School Resource Officer (SRO).

“I will not vote for a school budget that does not have a Student Resource Officer in it. In today’s crazy world, we are behind if we don’t already have someone there at the school,” Shane said. “I’ve been vocal about this. I will not vote for that budget without an SRO.”

Shane added that the building where he works, the New Gloucester Public Works Department, shares an office with the Cumberland County Sheriff Office (CCSO).

“It is more security for my department,” he said.

Shane responded after the Naples Select Board invited Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce to its meeting on Monday. Sheriff Joyce was on the agenda to talk about the School Resource Officer, a position which was cut from the proposed 2024-25 school budget.

Shane learned of the school staffing change during a Naples Budget Committee meeting in February. The job was a contractual agreement with CCSO.

The SRO is shared between schools, and that person is not present at the high school only, Sheriff Joyce said.

“As long as that SRO position has been up there, we have had no complaints,” he said.

Shane agreed. “Rave reviews. I hear from children in our community. They like him. They trust him,” he said.

Naples resident Priscilla Kyle spends time as a bus monitor for the district, which brings her to the high school in the morning and afternoons.

“In my three years of working, I have only heard good thing about the deputy. His car is parked in the parking lot. He is out there directing traffic so the buses can get out,” Kyle said. “I talked to other people when we heard he was going to be eliminated. He has great rapport with the kids.”

Naples Budget Committee member Martina Witts stepped to the microphone. “Everyone agrees, more security the better. The [SAD 61 School] superintendent [Al Smith] explained that things should be turning around. He was very positive about his choice of Dean of Students,” she said.

SAD 61 Superintendent Al Smith addressed the SRO question front and center in his opening remarks to the Bridgton Select Board Tuesday night regarding the proposed $36 million budget.

The Student Resource Officer (SRO) is a Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputy, who is contracted at $106,000, Smith said. The officer has an office at Lake Region High School, but also makes rounds at other district schools.

This year, a Dean of Students position (filled by veteran teacher Roger Smith) was created at the high school. The Dean serves as a liaison between students, staff and administrators.

“We have not seen what we had hoped we would receive from the SRO. We have not had safety issues,” Smith said. “Putting in the Dean of Students has been a game changer. The Dean works with students, knows the kids, is very active when disturbances take place, knows the families and parents very well, and can do wellness checks if needed. The Dean does a lot of conversation and data pieces with students around their academics, none of which was happening with our SRO.”

By removing the SRO position, Smith said a Dean of Students will be added to the middle school staff “for about half the cost.”

“We believe we will gain the same support that’s needed for our students and staff,” Smith added.

In a phone interview with The News Tuesday, Superintendent Smith felt there was a disconnect as to what the district thought the SRO would bring to the school community versus how the CCSO approaches the job.

SAD 61 has employed an SRO for the past three years. CCSO selects the officer to man that position as outlined in the union contract. When it comes to job performance, evaluation is done by the Sheriff’s Office.

“They (the Sheriff’s Office) oversee the process. They are not in the school, and they have not spoken with SAD 61,” Smith said.

When asked if there were performance issues regarding the current SRO, Smith declined to comment citing it is a personnel matter that requires privacy.

Superintendent Smith cautioned those willing to “play the safety card” regarding the district’s decision to change the approach from SRO to a Dean of Students.

“Safety is not the issue. We have procedures in place if an emergency occurs; our staff is trained on what to do; and police response has been very quick when we have had some incidents,” Smith said. “Very few schools have an SRO in every building.”

The superintendent did note that if the three district towns feel strongly to retain an SRO, the towns could fund the position — “it’s just not in the budget we are proposing,” he said.

At the Naples Select Board meeting, Naples Budget Committee member Martina Witts added, “I hate to hold a budget hostage over one item. Security is expensive. This is a time when we don’t talk about expense as much, and make sure our kids have security. It’s sad that it’s an either/or for something this important. I have never been to a school budget hearing before. But I am going on March 18.”