The Yorktown Central School District is proposing to add a school resource officer who will alternate among the district’s three elementary schools.
Should voters approve the district’s proposed budget later this month, the new school resource officer is expected to arrive at the schools in September, and they will become the eighth school resource officer in Yorktown’s two school districts.
“We believe it is the most of any town,” said Supervisor Matt Slater. “We recognize that the SRO program that Chief Noble and the Yorktown Police Department have developed is incredibly high-standard, high-quality and really is a model for municipalities and communities across the state.”
The police officer will be a full-time school resource officer at the Crompond Elementary School and will be a member of the Brookside and Mohansic schools’ building emergency response teams. The district’s middle and high schools each have a school resource officer.
“Students learn best when they feel safe,” said Chief Robert Noble. “Our school resource officers are specially trained professionals who play an important role in the schools, where they reassure, counsel and sometimes mentor students. They continue to build positive relationships with students, parents, and staff.”
Supervisor Slater also announced last night that the Town and the Yorktown Central School District are working on an agreement to lease the Downing Park Commuter Lot to the district so that high school students can park there in a more supervised manner.
For years, the lot has been informally used as an overflow parking area for high school students. The new agreement allows the district to institute rules of conduct, permits, and staff oversight. There may also be a new prohibition on left turns out of the lot.
“Turning left on Route 202 out of that lot can be pretty dangerous, especially for young and inexperienced drivers,” said Supervisor Slater.
