HOWARD – East Knox Local Schools Board of Education approved the funding of a school resource officer for the upcoming school year at Thursday night’s meeting.
In doing so, it became the fifth and final Knox County school district to approve funding an officer in an effort to protect students.
East Knox partnered with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in this endeavor because Howard does not have its own police department, as the community often relies on county law enforcement.
“I just want to express my gratitude to the sheriff’s department and to the county commissioners for really stepping up on this,” school board president Dustin Buckingham told sheriff David Shaffer at the meeting.
“I think every district has unique circumstances; we don’t have a local police force like Danville has, and that sort of thing. We just think this is one of the main soft targets in the area, and we appreciate you coming down here and making sure our kids are safe.”
The sheriff’s office has hired deputy David Nally to be the school’s resource officer for the upcoming school year. Shaffer introduced Nally to the board on Thursday. The board expressed their excitement about having an officer on school grounds.
“We think that we have a good, working relationship with the sheriff’s office,” superintendent Steve Larcomb said. “And for the amount of money that it would cost us, it would just be prudent to have an armed presence, a uniformed presence, on-site – somebody who can establish relationships with our students and staff and provide a safe environment for our kids and our community.”
The new position will cost approximately $60,000 for the upcoming school year, with the school district paying $15,000 from its general fund. The county will foot the rest of the bill, as Shaffer cited the benefits that the county will see by adding Nally as a deputy.
Along with his duties as a school resource officer, Nally will also be utilized as a patrolman during non-school hours. He will mainly work in unincorporated areas like Howard and Apple Valley, Shaffer said.
By adding a school resource officer, East Knox will become the final Knox County school district to do so.
Fredericktown has had a part-time school resource officer for the last five years, but will be hiring a full-time officer for the upcoming school year.
Mount Vernon has had a school resource officer for the past three years and Centerburg introduced an officer this past school year.
Danville recently approved funding for a full-time school resource officer for the upcoming school year.
Despite the recent trend of hiring school resource officers, Larcomb said that the board’s decision was made with only its own district in mind.
“I don’t know that it was, ‘Oh, we better do it because they’re doing it.’ That really wasn’t the case,” Larcomb said. “It was the fact that last year, the offer was $15,000 for a half-time officer, versus this year, it was $15,000 for a full-time officer. So we made a deal that was certainly mutually beneficial.”
Buckingham said that he was impressed by the number of things a full-time school resource officer could bring to the table, including the potential for drug education, youth mentorship and general, day-to-day campus safety.
“We think of school shootings, and that’s why you have these SROs. But in reality, a kid’s much more likely to be injured or killed getting on the bus or getting run over in the parking lot, or those sorts of things,” Buckingham said.
“Having a patrol car out here, I hope it can slow our kids down and really help keep this a safe environment. Because I really think the most dangerous time of the day is when everybody is coming in or leaving.”
Shaffer said the sheriff’s office, Nally and the school board would work together on thinking of different ways that the officer could be used throughout the district.
Nally, who has lived in the area for most of his life and has been a commissioned officer since 1996, told the board that he considers his new position to be “a great privilege.”
“I’ve always lived my life to try to serve others, and I am middle-aged, and most of our children will soon be grown and gone. And I think it’s a unique opportunity to spend the next 20 years of my life investing in other people’s children,” Nally said.
“You know, most of us in this room are old enough to think that we’d never thought we’d see the day when we needed the presence of full-time law enforcement in our school systems. But if there’s a silver lining in that, it’s the fact that there’s never been a time in history in our country when that officer can make more of a difference in the lives of these young people.”
Nally recalled how his father left his family when he was two years old, and how the experience of going back and thanking everyone who influenced him at a young age by filling that role has helped him gain perspective on the importance of his new position.
“I do consider this a real privilege. I’ve got a lot of ideas, I’m hopeful that as this unfolds here that the school does. But I can tell you that I will be here, committed to the lives and future of everybody here,” Nally said.
During the board’s meeting on March 15, the board approved a resolution to authorize the arming of staff members as long as they meet certain requirements, such as having a CCW permit and having experience either with hunting or in the military.
Larcomb made it clear on Thursday that this resolution has not been rescinded; rather, the board has simply approved the funding of a school resource officer as well.
“We still have that tool available to us,” he told the board. “The sheriff and I have talked about that and anything we do will certainly be coordinated with the sheriff’s office and certainly with deputy Nally. There are no changes in that policy.”
