The students' officer

RATHDRUM — After a decade without a school resource officer roaming the halls, Rathdrum public schools will finally have one back this fall.

D.J. Duke, who has been an officer at Rathdrum Police the past five years and was a Kootenai County Sheriff's Office deputy for more than two years before that, has been named the SRO.

He will start his new duties at the start of the next school year in September.

"I've always enjoyed working with students," the 36-year-old Duke said, referring to what interested him in the position. "I want to connect with kids and help out in this way."

Duke, who has been a member of the local SWAT team, will work in all Rathdrum public schools. His office will be at Lakeland High. While he'll report to Rathdrum Police chief Kevin Fuhr, his sole focus will be on schools, not the streets.

Curt Carr, Lakeland High's assistant principal, said he advocated for Duke to be the SRO because he already has a relationship with many of the students.

"He has even donated his time to be at our activities," Carr said.

Carr said Rathdrum schools having a SRO back is long overdue after the position was earlier cut due to budget constraints.

"It's time," he said. "For schools to be in the 21st Century, you need an SRO. It's not just about the technology; it's what is going on around us."

Rathdrum Police has been responding to the Rathdrum schools on an as-needed basis for the past 10 years. Having an SRO will allow the schools to be proactive on issues rather than calling on police only when needed, Carr said.

"If you don't have the stability, you're not going to get it done," he said.

Carr has drawers full of drug paraphernalia that has been confiscated by staff from students. He's optimistic that having a SRO around will reduce drug problems, fights, bullying and other typical issues that arise at many schools.

The SRO position was made possible when Lakeland Joint School District voters narrowly approved a $5.3 million supplemental levy in March.

"It was a good investment by our community," said Trent Derrick, who will take over for Conrad Underdahl as Lakeland High principal after this school year.

Fifty-three percent of the voters were in favor of the proposal and at least 50 percent was needed for it to pass.

For the owner of a $150,000 home, the levy increase amounts to $12.33 per year, or $1.03 per month, over the current levy.

The school district and police department have signed a memorandum of understanding on the SRO program. The school district will pay $35,000 for the salary of the position, while the police department will provide the equipment and administration.

The levy will also help offset decreases in federal funding that support special education and Title programs. It will also pay for reinforcing windows with safety film, enhancing existing emergency response systems and improving student health and safety services, which includes athletic trainers for competitive high school sports.

Fuhr said he was relieved voters approved the levy because he applied for a grant for the position for three years before being denied in all cases.

Spirit Lake re-implemented its SRO program under a grant awarded two years ago.

Fuhr said when two Post Falls students brought a replica gun to Lakeland High last year, that was another reminder of why a SRO is needed.

"It heightened everybody's awareness," Fuhr said.