Craig Howell EXPRESSING CONCERNS - Resident Matt Cole was among those addressing the Hancock County Board of Education Monday.

NEW CUMBERLAND — Not all personnel decisions for Hancock County Schools have been finalized, according to Superintendent Walt Saunders, and that includes the level of law enforcement officers set to be in the county’s schools next fall.

The future of the Prevention Resource Officer program in Hancock County was among those discussed during Monday’s county Board of Education meeting, following recent concerns expressed by local police officials.

Both Hancock County Sheriff Scott Gittings and Weirton Police Chief Charlie Kush have sent letters to Saunders in recent weeks over a proposal that could see only six law enforcement officers responsible for covering eight of the county’s public schools.

Currently, five county deputies are stationed at Oak Glen High School and Oak Glen Middle School, A.T. Allison Elementary School, New Manchester Elementary School and the John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center, with a sixth serving as a “rover” — able to move between buildings when needed — while city officers are stationed at Weir High School, Weir Middle School and Weirton Elementary School.

The proposal under consideration would remove two deputies and one Weirton officer from those deployments.

Board of Education member Randy Swartzmiller was among those Monday questioning the idea, raising particular concerns about the possibility of having a single officer or deputy charged with operating out of two schools.

“As we all know, nobody can be in two places at one time,” Swartzmiller said.

Swartzmiller also said funding for the PRO program — through both grants and stipulated tax revenue — is provided.

“The bonds that have been passed have really been focused on safety,” Swartzmiller said, noting appropriations are established in the county’s existing excess levy to provide funding for the PRO program and in the bond levy for the purchase of metal detectors and other safety measures in the schools.

Another issue, Swartzmiller noted, was the potential reduction of administrators in some of the schools, saying that, combined with the possible loss of full-time PROs at select schools, would lead to a loss of oversight for students.

“The ones who have their feet on the ground are the administrators and the PROs,” he said.

Saunders said while the possible reduction of PROs has been proposed, nothing is finalized.

“Nothing is set yet,” Saunders said, adding discussions with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Weirton Police Department are continuing.

Saunders acknowledged the possibility of reducing PRO officers came from him, not the state Board of Education, as part of efforts to cut the approximately $5 million deficit being faced by the school district.

Swartzmiller wasn’t the only one to raise concerns about the issue Monday, with resident Matt Cole also addressing the board, saying the loss of PROs would mean less safety and security for students.

“This is not a single failure. It’s a pattern,” Cole said of the ongoing issues within the district. “Hancock County should serve as a warning.”

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)