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Derry-area board tables police contract after public and borough officials urge broader SRO discussion
Summary
The Derry Area School District board tabled a proposed renewal of its contract with the borough police after the borough’s acting police chief and local officials urged the district to consider assigning a full-time school resource officer (SRO) under state law changes and to renegotiate contract times and duties.
The Derry Area School District board on an evening meeting tabled consideration of a proposed renewal of the Dairy Borough police contract after public comments from borough officials and advocates urged the district to rethink the arrangement and consider a full-time school resource officer.
Acting Police Chief (Derry Police Department) said the borough would “offer the services of, an SRO should the school decide to, go in that direction,” and recommended contract language that keeps police presence less predictable so potential offenders “don't know the police are never here after 7:55 until 8:20 and again in the afternoon.” He also noted police duties that may not be visible to the district, such as child-line investigations that “sometimes take us to city of Pittsburgh, to Children's Hospital, and places like that.”
Nathan Bundy of Dairy Council urged the board to broaden negotiations rather than reduce police hours, saying a full-time SRO could be obtained within existing budget lines. “If we're spending on the taxpayer side equivalent to what would be 8 hours a day for a full time police officer…what could you get out of that as the school? You could get a full time police officer, SRO, at your building, 1 of your buildings, 8 hours a day,” Bundy told the board.
Barbara Phillips, Dairy Borough council president, echoed that position and urged the board to “table this and let's go back to the drawing board” so the borough and district can negotiate in good faith.
A district speaker identified as Mr. Pearl told the public that a state change this year under “Senate Bill 907” requires school districts to have at least one full-time armed security person. The transcript records him saying, “I just want to add…that the school code did change this year with senate bill 90 7 at the start of this year, that all school districts are required to at least have 1 full time armed security personnel.”
When the renewal came to the board for action later in the meeting, a motion to table the police contract passed. The board chair called for votes, and the clerk recorded the motion as carried with the board tabling the item.
The board did not adopt changes to the police contract at this meeting; the transcript does not show a finalized contract document on the record and a district staff member confirmed the board had only discussed a proposal from the borough earlier in the meeting.
The tabling preserves time for further negotiation between the borough and district and for the board to review a finalized contract if one is submitted for a future meeting.
