K-M school board made right decision

Kasson-Mantorville’s school board made the right decision last week when they approved a new two-year contract with the Kasson Police Department for a school resource officer (SRO).

Controversy arose in the district after Supt. Mark Matuska sent a letter out to parents informing them the district was considering going outside of law enforcement to hire a school resource and relationship officer (SRRO) to handle security at the schools.

The primary reason cited by Matuska was financial; the K-M portion of the most recent contract cost the district $67,283 or 65 percent of the of the SRO with the remainder of the cost paid by the city. The SRO, it should be pointed, has been a licensed police officer with the Kasson Police Department.

Shortly after Matuska’s letter became public Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose released his own letter, posted on the Sheriff Office’s Facebook page giving in detail his reasons for having a licensed law enforcement person in the SRO position.

If the comments to Rose’s Facebook post were any indication, the Kasson-Mantorville public agreed with Rose by a wide margin.

Law enforcement officers in schools have become a hot topic in the United States especially since the killing of George Floyd by a police officer and many schools throughout the country have moved away from the licensed officer in the schools concept.

On the other side of the coin, the recent shooting in Uvalde, Texas that ended in the deaths of elementary school students and a teacher underscores just how unpredictable and dangerous it can be in a school.

In his letter, Rose made a good argument that a SRO or SRRO who is not licensed will not be in immediate contact with the dispatch center if a situation were to arise. And, not all serious situations might be happening within the school building or on the school grounds.

Locally, there was a situation several months ago where an individual with a weapon was barricaded in his home and holding law enforcement at bay.

The home was located in the vicinity of the school and the school resource officer was immediately aware of the situation and able to take action and ensure the school was locked-down.

The reality may be different in large urban areas or smaller communities in other parts of the country, but here in Dodge County the school resource officer is more than a cop out to arrest students for misbehavior.

From all reports they have a good relationship with students and staff and can serve as mentors and a resource to them.

Under the terms of the new contract, the estimated cost is $75,000 for the 2022-2023 school year and $78,000 for the 2023-24 school year.

That is money well-spent.