Superintendent

Barry Anderson

Please keep our kids safe!

It has recently come to my attention that Superintendent Barry Anderson has recommeneded to the Grayson County School Board that both School Resource Officer positions be eliminated due to a shortage of funds.

Officer Oller is assigned to the Grayson County Middle School and Officer Moutardier is assigned to the Grayson County High School.

I called Superintendent Anderson as well as school board Chair Person Carolyn Thomason to express my concern for the safety of our students.

Both were very sympathetic and understanding about my concern.

However, both expressed similar position that the next school board budget just did not have enough money to support the school resource officer program.

They also pointed out that the need was not as great for the officers now since additional cameras had been installed at both schools.

I consider both Anderson and Thomason as people of integrity and as good personal friends of mine.

They both are struggling to make ends meet after the state has significantly cut the “safe school” funds to all school districts.

I started teaching 40 years ago this August at Leitchfield High School. Things were certainly different back in the good ole days.

•Here are some of the facts as we saw them in 1968:

We did not know what a “school shooting” was.

There was no problem with “teen pregnancy here” (sex had not been invented yet).

There was certainly no “drug problem in our area”.

The number two killer of teens was car accidents, certainly not violence as it is now.

The word “terrorism” was not part of our vocabulary.

It would be embarrassing to admit that we needed an armed and uniformed police officer on duty in our school. (maybe Watts and Harlem but not here).

Its now 40 years later so here is a news flash from the desk of Jerry Schlosser, Psychology teacher for the Grayson County High School.

•Here are the facts as I see them now (Summer 2008):

“School shooting” is now an event that we have all watched unfold on the nightly news (just to mention a few—Heath High School-Paducah, Columbine High School-Littleton Colorado and Westside Middle School-Jonesboro, Arkansas).

In today’s world I will typically have one pregnant student in each class each semester. We provide daycare at the high school so these young moms can complete high school. Pregnancies occur as young as elementary school now.

Today when I ask my students the hypothetical question “How many of you know someone here at school that you could get drugs from?” nearly 80% of my students raise their hands.

Today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, violence is the number two killer of teenagers.

The Department of Homeland Security considers American schools to be prime targets for terrorists.

Today, I believe that most students, parents, teachers, and principals want officers in our schools.

The Grayson County School Board has a current budget of around $35,000,000, that is right, 35 million dollars.

The Sheriff’s office pays the benefits and provides the police cars, while the school board supplies the salary.

The school board has around 600, that is right 600 employees, surely they can find money for two school resource officers!

If you agree with me, please let Superintendent Barry Anderson know (Board of Education phone 270-259-4011), or call School Board Chair Person Carolyn Thomason and the other board members.

If you wish to call me, my number is 270-230-2522.

Sincerely,

Jerry Schlosser

Think about it—Is anything more important than the safety of our youngsters?