Greenfield schools retain campus resource officer

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Sgt. Kevin Little with the Greenfield Police Department has been retained as the resource officer on the Greenfield campus with the school board voting at Monday’s meeting to employ him as a non-certified administrator.

Superintendent Joe Wills said that while previous years have seen the resource officer’s salary come partially through grant funding through the police department, the school has paid the rest. He said the grant funding has become less and less each year since a resource officer was first implemented.

Wills said Little will remain an auxiliary officer through the Greenfield Police Department and his duties as resource officer will not change, but he will be an employee of the school district.

There has been a resource officer on the Greenfield schools campus since 2012 when the GPD was first awarded a grant through the U.S. Department of Justice. At that time, retired GPD Chief Tim Hester described the officer’s duties as handling truancy, loitering, incidents or calls generated from the school, disorderly or unruly conduct, to attend after-school functions and extracurricular activities, and to patrol during student arrival and departure times and during lunch times. The officer will also patrol areas adjoining school grounds.

Little has previously served as the resource officer and he “has a good rapport with students” and has built “good relationships” with students, staff, and the community, Wills said.

While the school district will now be assuming all of the resource officer’s salary, Wills said administrators will continue to look into grant funding.

McClain students who were involved in an art project were recognized by the board of education on Monday.

The students created a tiger painting for a hallway near the main gym. More artwork is planned for the hallways surrounding the gym area, Wills said.

McClain Principal Jason Potts said six students participated and that they have worked on the project for the last three weeks. He said he hopes to have “many more” such projects accomplished over the next year or so.

The students involved in the project were Destiny Ross, Jenny Wilson, Samantha Ross, Abby Mossbarger, Molly Rowe and Chantel Landrum, Potts said.

“Why hire artists when we have extremely talented students?,” the principal said Tuesday.

Potts also provided an overview on a parent survey put out by the McClain Parent Advisory Council (MPAC) to help identify “perceived weaknesses” so that staff could focus on strengthening those areas. He said the three areas that were most prominent were communication, safety, and course offerings.

To address communication, Potts said a McClain High School Facebook page was started earlier this year along with a weekly podcast called “Everything McClain.” The podcasts can be found on the Facebook page and on the school’s website.

On matters of safety, a survey is being designed for students and parents, Potts said, to find out what specific areas of safety need addressed.

And as to course offerings, Wills previously said that the parent survey pointed to the desire for AP courses. Potts said he is meeting with staff later this week to discuss that addition.

At Monday’s meeting, Wills said the student activities committee reported that they are “studying the possibility” of drug testing next year on students involved in extracurricular activities. Wills said school districts that have already implemented the practice have been contacted and an update will be provided at the school board’s next meeting.

As January is School Board Recognition Month, Wills said he thanked Greenfield’s school board members for their “work and dedication.” Board members also received a certificate from the Ohio School Board Association.

Recommendations for employment as approved by the board on Monday are: certified substitutes — David Hannah II, Nathan McNeal, Scott Balzer, Matthew Moss, Joe Rhude, and Howard Zody; and Edward Kinsey, custodian/maintenance.

The Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Board of Education is scheduled for its next regular meeting on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at Rainsboro Elementary.

Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.

McClain students (l-r) Destiny Ross, Jenny Wilson and Samantha Ross were recognized by the Greenfield Board of Education on Monday for their part in an art project at the new gym. The students are pictured with board president Doug Mustard, left, and board member Marilyn Mitchell, right.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2016/01/web1_SchoolBoard.jpgMcClain students (l-r) Destiny Ross, Jenny Wilson and Samantha Ross were recognized by the Greenfield Board of Education on Monday for their part in an art project at the new gym. The students are pictured with board president Doug Mustard, left, and board member Marilyn Mitchell, right.
High school students recognized for art project

By Angela Shepherd

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