THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 29, 1994 TAG: 9407290546
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
The Dare County Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to station law enforcement officers at four county schools.
Two officers, one from the Dare County Sheriff's Department and one from the Kill Devil Hills Police Department, will split time at the schools.
The Dare County deputy will serve Manteo High School and Manteo Middle School. The Kill Devil Hills officer will serve First Flight Middle School and First Flight Elementary.
The ``youth resources officers,'' as they are called, will work in areas such as drug and alcohol education, help with security at special school events and serve as role models for teenagers.
Schools Superintendent Leon Holleman said the officers would be armed and in uniform in the schools but should not be viewed as ``armed guards.''
``This is a resource to be used in a positive vein,'' he said. ``We have no desire for armed guards in our schools, nor do we need an armed guard there.''
Response to the program was generally positive.
``I'm pleased with both officers (being in the schools),'' board member Sam Twiford said. ``The children of Dare County need to see officers as role models. I can see the value of this not only for the children at those schools, but for the entire system.''
Some members, while supporting the concept generally, expressed reservations about what the officers' responsibility would be and how students' rights would be affected.
``I would like to see the officers' responsibilities in writing,'' Chairman Virginia Tillett said.
As part of the motion passed Thursday, the two officers will make a presentation to the board at its September meeting, and a final plan must be presented in writing by Oct. 1.
Funding for the one-year program will come through grants and from the town of Kill Devil Hills. There will be no cost to the school system, and the board has the option to end the program at any time.
In a closed session later, the Dare board discussed Run Hill, a 165-acre tract upon which it hopes to build a $20 million high school to serve the communities of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Colington and Nags Head.
The board owns 46 acres of the site. It is negotiating with other parties, including the town of Kill Devil Hills - which owns 55 acres that it hopes to use to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility - and The Nature Conservancy.
The parties have been working toward a comprehensive plan on use of the site.
KEYWORDS: DARE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
DARE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
KILL DEVIL HILLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
by CNB