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Concord board weighs adding full-time school resource officer at middle school
Summary
District leaders and police presented data and arguments both for and against hiring a full‑time school resource officer (SRO) at Runeland Middle School. The board decided to leave funding for an SRO in the proposed FY26 budget for public comment rather than remove it now.
Jay Vershaire, Runeland Middle School principal, and Sergeant Ben Mitchell of the Concord Police Department presented data and answered school board questions on March 5 as the Concord School Board considered adding a full‑time school resource officer to the district’s proposed FY26 budget.
Vershaire said the school has seen “44 lost learning days due to nicotine/THC vape,” 26 school safety reports this school year and 25 Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) reports, and argued those data support having an on‑site officer. “If kids know that you care about them and you know them personally, they're much more likely to listen to you,” Vershaire told the board, saying a dedicated SRO could build relationships that help prevent safety incidents.
The Concord Police…
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