WILLMAR -- Willmar Public Schools may soon be adding a third police liaison officer.
The district currently has two Willmar Police officers working in its schools. One officer has been assigned to the Senior High since 1994, and a second was added a few years later to work at Roosevelt Elementary and the Junior High.
The third officer would be assigned to the Area Learning Center and the district's other elementary schools.
"We feel there would be an advantage to having a third liaison officer," Superintendent Kathy Leedom said at Monday's School Board meeting.
"There's a lot of positive contact with our students and with our staff members. ... It's not an indication of discipline problems," she said. School officials feel it would be good for students to build relationships with the officers at an earlier age, she added.
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There is no contract for a new liaison officer yet, Leedom said, but she brought the idea to the board for discussion.
The district is currently halfway through a three-year contract and pays the city about $33,000 for each officer who is stationed in schools during the 174 days students are in the buildings. Funding for the officers comes from the district's Safe Schools levy.
The cost of a third office would likely be about $40,000 for an entire school year, Leedom said. It's a reflection of the city's increasing costs, and that will likely be the cost for each of the three officers when a new contract is negotiated in 2008.
Leedom said the third liaison officer could be on board within a couple months if a contract agreement can be reached with the city. The City Council gave its support to the idea on Monday.
In other business, the board:
- Adopted a resolution on a 5-to-2 vote to move board elections from odd years to even years. The move extended each board member's term one year. Board members Shawn Mueske and Wayne Lenzmeier objected to that, saying they did not feel board members should extend their terms without the permission of the voters.
"I've not had anybody from the public approach me negatively about it," said board member Mike Carlson.
Board Chairman Dion Warne proposed the move earlier this fall, suggesting the move could save the district money and possibly result in better voter turnout for school board elections.
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- Appointed Mark Miley to be acting principal and Jeremy Theis to be dean of students at the Junior High through the end of the school year. Junior High Principal Mike Prunty had asked to extend his leave of absence to the end of the school year, and the board approved it at a previous meeting.
- Voted to set activity participation fees at $40 per student for speech and for Business Professionals of America.
