In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Ct. Georgetown County School Superintendent Dr. Randy Dozier wants uniformed officers in all elementary schools at least for the remainder of this school year.
However, there will not be enough funding to place an officer in each of the schools full time — at least not this year.
Dozier will ask the school board next week to allocate $150,000 towards security. The money would be used to place officers at the elementary schools as funds allow.
Middle and high schools already have full-time resource officers on campus.
Dozier said he has talked with Georgetown Police Chief Paul Gardner and Assistant Sheriff Carter Weaver about a plan to use off-duty officers at the elementary schools at least on a rotating basis.
He said he hopes to get enough participation so that each of the county’s nine elementary schools — and Waccamaw Intermediate — will have officers in the schools as much as possible. For the remainder of the year, the amount of time an officer will be in an elementary school will be based on the number of officers available.
He said the endeavor is a “pretty significant investment” but one that he feels is important.
“I thought about it a lot over the holidays,” he said.
Dozier said he is hoping federal and state funds can be obtained to place a full time officer in each elementary school starting in August. That, however, is not a guarantee.
Dozier said he will be meeting with state lawmakers this spring and will be urging them to help with the funding not only for the additional officers but also for more guidance and mental health counselors.
Read more on this story in Wednesday's Georgetown Times.
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
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