The question of Wiscasset’s school resource officer will be decided by voters at the annual town meeting. Wiscasset selectmen voted 3-2 to restore a warrant article asking for the appropriation of $47,400 for the school resource officer in the final minutes of a special meeting held to finalize the warrant Friday, April 24.
School committee members and school administrators turned out for the special meeting to advocate for the continuation of a school resource officer position in the Wiscasset school system.
The decision to remove the school resource officer from the warrant at the selectmen’s April 21 meeting was met with a public outcry, with objections from the police department, the school community, and an impromptu citizen’s petition in circulation.
Selectman Tim Merry was absent from the April 21 meeting when the vote was taken. He expressed concern that prior to the April 21 decision there was no indication the school resource officer would be removed from the warrant.
Chairman Pam Dunning explained the controversial decision. “I remember clear as day the general discussion last year when the chief asked the SRO be added,” Dunning said.
According to Dunning, the position was funded through the town on the assumption it would be added to the school department’s budget the second year. “That didn’t happen,” Dunning said. Dunning also pointed to the lack of involvement of the school committee and administration in Wiscasset’s budget-setting process.
School Committee Chairman Steve Smith and member Glen Craig spoke in support of the school resource officer. “No one was here (for the budget-setting process) because no one knew it was going to be removed from the warrant,” Smith said.
Smith agreed the position should be funded through the school department budget but noted the difficulty in performing the due diligence needed to fold the position into the school’s budget at such a late stage in the budget-setting process.
An initially contentious exchange between Craig and Dunning ended with an effort to negotiate a compromise. “I am an advocate for the SRO because it is a value. You can’t put a price tag on value, whether it comes out of your bucket or my bucket,” Craig said. “It’s all the same bucket.”
“I agree the SRO is important,” Dunning said. “I agree with that.”
Craig and Dunning both spoke with Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett about the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office school resource officers. According to both Craig and Dunning, in most situations the town pays for one-third of the position and the school pays for two-thirds.
Selectmen discussed raising the warrant article for the police department’s budget by $8,276 if the school department took responsibility for the remaining two-thirds by adding approximately $39,000 to its budget.
Smith indicated there was strong support for the school resource officer on the school committee and did not think there would be any objection to adding a separate warrant article to present to voters at the school’s budget meeting May 27, where residents will vote on the school budget.
Selectmen then discussed using Wiscasset’s contingency fund to cover the $8,276 if the position was approved at the school’s budget meeting, rather than changing the warrant without knowing if voters would approve the position. Use of the contingency fund would require a new vote by the selectmen.
Smith then announced the full amount to fund the school resource officer, $47,400, would most likely be added to the school’s budget and presented to voters as a separate warrant article at the school’s budget meeting.
“I wanted it on the (selectmen’s) warrant so the whole town could vote on it,” Smith said. “I’m confident we can add it (to the school warrant) and that it will pass.” Smith noted the school’s budget meeting typically has a much smaller turnout than Wiscasset’s annual town meeting in June and fewer voters would weigh in on the position, which was narrowly approved at Wiscasset’s 2014 annual town meeting.
Smith’s announcement ended conversation on the school resource officer and other warrant articles were discussed by selectmen. Immediately before selectmen voted on the final warrant, selectmen returned to discussion of the school resource officer position.
“We need a clean vote among the townspeople,” Selectman Ben Rines said.
Jeff Slack and Tim Merry agreed. A motion was made to add a warrant article asking voters to raise and appropriate $47,400 for a school resource officer to the warrant. It was seconded.
Selectmen voted in favor of the motion 3-2 with Dunning and Selectman Bill Barnes opposed. Rines reversed his previous position to vote in favor of keeping the school resource officer on the warrant.
The motion passed and the final warrant with the amendment was approved. The school resource officer will be decided on by voters at Wiscasset’s annual town meeting.
“I’m happy to see there’s going to be a town-wide vote,” Smith said. “It’s an issue that’s important to the community, not just the school.” According to Smith, the school’s budget will include funding for the school resource officer in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.