Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 20, 1993 TAG: 9301200253
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
CHRISTIANSBURG TO CONTINUE DARE
After hearing Montgomery County Sheriff K.L. Phipps say he is pulling drug education programs out of town elementary schools, council members vowed Tuesday night to continue them.But right now they're not sure how they'll do it.
"There's no doubt we're going to have the program in Christiansburg schools," Mayor Harold Linkous said.
The issue came up recently when Phipps told council that he will remove the Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education program from Falling Branch and Christiansburg elementary schools next school year because of money and manpower shortages. Phipps wants to begin DARE programs at Shawsville and Auburn combined middle and high schools.
He has asked the town police to take over drug education in Christiansburg schools.
Town officials have wondered if the move will require them to hire a new police officer. Drug education in the two schools is now a three-day-a-week job for one sheriff's deputy for one semester each year.
While no one was able to say how much the move will cost Christiansburg, Deputy Jon Yon, the sheriff's DARE coordinator, said his expenses totaled $31,000 last year for all of Montgomery County's elementary, middle and high schools.
Jim Felts, DARE coordinator for the state Department of Education, told council members they could apply for a $10,000 grant to help train a new DARE officer, and the town would be eligible for a second $10,000 the next year.
Council members were not pleased with the news. They reminded Phipps that residents of Christiansburg are also citizens of Montgomery County.
T.G. Ayers, a state police DARE coordinator, told council that the program's primary target audience is fifth- and sixth-grade pupils. Drug education is most effective at that age, Ayers said.
Council members asked why the sheriff wanted to remove the program from its primary audience in Christiansburg and begin programs for secondary-school students in the county.
When the statewide DARE program was started in 1986, Phipps said, it was intended that each law enforcement jurisdiction would handle its own DARE instruction.
Blacksburg police have three DARE officers for the town's schools.
Christiansburg Town Manager John Lemley said he would talk with Police Chief Ron Lemons about what to do next.