Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board awards opioid-settlement funding to sheriff's prevention program to start D.A.R.E. in Ithaca schools
Summary
Using opioid-settlement funds, the board approved a grant to the Richland County sheriff's office to fund D.A.R.E. programming in Ithaca schools, covering training, materials and officer compensation; presenters said the plan would begin with CounterAct this year and move to D.A.R.E. training next year.
The Richland County Board approved a resolution awarding opioid-settlement grant funds to local applicants for prevention, treatment and recovery efforts, including a request to fund D.A.R.E. programming in Ithaca schools.
A presenter associated with the sheriff's office (S18) described the request and explained that the sheriff's office has been teaching the CounterAct curriculum but that CounterAct is ending at Ithaca. The sheriff's office recommended switching to a revamped D.A.R.E. curriculum that includes material on vaping and other modern issues and requested funding to train an officer and purchase materials.
The presenter provided a budget breakdown for the $6,000 request: a two-week training fee of about $150; lodging and food for training; workbook purchases and materials; and compensation for an officer to be sent to the training. The presenter said the training is held once a year in Wisconsin and that implementation would likely begin in early 2026; the sheriff's office planned to continue CounterAct in the short term.
The board adopted the resolution by voice vote. Supervisors asked clarifying questions about program selection (D.A.R.E. versus other curricula) and long-term costs; presenters said much of the ongoing cost would be workbooks while training is a one-time expense and that schools would partner on materials funding moving forward.
What happens next: The sheriff's office will schedule the training and coordinate with Ithaca schools to launch programming once the training is completed; the opioid settlement grant will fund initial training and materials.
