Kootenai County cool on Lakeland SRO request

COEUR d'ALENE — The Lakeland Joint School District's pursuit of one school-resource officer for its three rural elementary schools remains at a standstill after three years.

School administrators on Tuesday took their case for the fourth time to cost-share with Kootenai County on an SRO for Athol, Twin Lakes and Garwood elementary schools. While those areas are in the county sheriff's office jurisdiction for patrol, it does not have a deputy dedicated as an SRO at the schools.

The school officials said the school district has $42,000 for the position from a supplemental levy that was approved by voters last year. That would cover 60 percent of the estimated $70,000 salary and benefits.

However, when County Commissioner Marc Eberlein learned from sheriff's office representatives Tuesday that the total estimated first-year cost, including training, equipment and a vehicle is $150,000, he suggested that the school officials go back to their board to see how much it's willing to pay for that start-up cost.

"Is it 60 percent of the $150,000?" Eberlein asked.

The commissioners left no guarantee the county would be willing to give any funds for an SRO — regardless of a more concrete proposal from the school district. The school officials said they'd check back with their board on how much more, if any, the district could pay toward the first-year costs.

Superintendent Becky Meyer, Assistant Superintendent Lisa Sexton and Chief Finance Officer Brian Wallace made the funding request to commissioners at the county’s administrative building.

"The value of an SRO, especially at the elementary level, goes way beyond the rare occurrence of an active shooter," said Wallace, adding that positive relationships are built at a young age.

Lakeland has two SROs in its district. One covers the three schools in Spirit Lake; the other covers five schools in Rathdrum. With both positions, the school district funds 60 percent while the police departments in those cities pay for the remaining 40 percent.

However, the three elementary schools in the district outside those cities don't have an SRO.

"Depending on where a deputy is, it can take up to 22 minutes in response time to get to Athol," Sexton said. "That's a ridiculous amount of time."

Sexton said the school district was denied each of the past three years.

Eberlein asked questions and expressed concerns about the county chipping in funding for the requested SRO. He said the sheriff's office is already having a tough time filling enough positions to open the jail expansion by the planned opening on Oct. 1.

He said the budget is shaping up to be a difficult task and the commission does not want to have to dip into the foregone tax balance — if a maximum 3 percent tax hike is approved.

"Foregone is a bad word," he said. "We call it the 'f' word around here."

Eberlein and Finance Director Dena Darrow said helping fund the Lakeland SRO position could result in further requests from smaller districts, like Kootenai, for an SRO.

Eberlein wondered if the school district would be interested in arming a staff or faculty member instead, as that could possibly save the district money.

Sexton replied: "We need teachers to focus on teaching. We won't be recommending (arming) teachers."

She said the school district's Plan B on the SRO front, should the county decline help with funding, is to possibly hire part-time armed guards such as former military members or law enforcement officers who have a vested interest at the schools. That would need school board approval.

"Patrons are telling us that even if they have to pay for them, they will," Sexton said.

Future safety grants through the state are another option for Lakeland to explore, Sexton said.

"But it sounds like those are another year or two out," she said.

The county's Grants Management Office is also exploring grant options to possibly kickstart the SRO position, county officials said.

Sexton said she believes, based on conversations with patrons and her experience as an administrator, that concerns about school safety have reached an all-time high.

"The response from parents after Florida has been different than any other school incident," she said. "They are just fed up. Enough is enough. Some are afraid to send their kids to school and want to know from us if we are being proactive and taking the safety of the kids seriously."