SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education voted to approve the hiring of two additional school resource officers for the district’s elementary schools at a meeting on Tuesday.
The motion passed by a 5-4 vote of the board trustees. One officer will be hired for the district elementary schools within Saratoga Springs city limits, with the other hired for elementary schools outside of the city limits.
The district will pay $74,285 for the officer at schools within the city, which will be pro-rated from the officer’s start date of Jan. 30 to the end of the contract, according to the addendum. The district will pay a cost of $75,419.86 to the officer assigned to elementary schools outside of the city limits, which will be pro-rated from a Feb. 1 start date.
The hiring of two additional SROs was recommended following a safety audit conducted by the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal. The district currently employs two SROs, one at the high school and one at the middle school campuses.
Several of the board members who ultimately voted against the motion raised concerns about hiring additional SROs outside of the district’s typical budget cycle.
“At this time, I feel like going outside the budget process does not allow trustees to fully and critically look at all of our district needs,” said Trustee Anjeanette Emeka. “We heard about these needs at every presentation so far this year. I also feel it disrespects the hard work we ask of all the other departments and buildings to identify needs and evaluate current initiatives and programs and student needs for consideration in the coming year’s budget.”
Trustee John Brueggeman agreed with Emeka, saying safety is “a multifaceted issue.”
The budgetary concerns were met with pushback from other board members, with Trustee Connie Woytowich saying the practices of the board “are inconsistent and arbitrary.”
“I just think at this point, people really need to not only examine their bias, but admit it,” said Woytowich. “If you are anti-police, just say so. I’m done with the dance.”
Board president Tony Krackeler said the suggestion that some board members are anti-police “smacks of an appalling lack of regard” for trustees.
“I resent any implication that anyone who wants to vote in any way on this, whether it’s yes or no now or yes or no in three months, is anti-police,” said Krackeler, who stated he feels it’s possible for board members to agree with the NYSIR recommendation while also feeling the positions should be considered along with the district’s budget.
Fellow Trustee Amanda Ellithorpe said she believes the “goalposts change to fit certain board members’ agendas.”
“Now you’re upset that the recommendation you thought you’d get isn’t what you received, so you shift the goalposts again. The public should know that the overwhelming feedback we have received from our administration, parents, and community members is in support of SROs,” Ellithorpe said. “The majority of the feedback we have received against them appears to be based in hatred of law enforcement. Let’s stop kicking the can down the road and vote.”
This was met with a response from both Brueggeman and Emeka, with Brueggeman saying he is “not outsourcing” his judgment.
“I want to say a couple things that have been misunderstood. One thing is, I strongly supported putting off this conversation until NYSIR came,” said Brueggeman. “I never said when NYSIR speaks, I’m going to do everything they say immediately after they say it.”
“This is absolutely, 100 percent not a dance to me,” said Emeka, who also said she was “appalled” to be referred to as anti-police.
Ellithorpe later clarified her statement, saying the anti-police comments were in reference to community feedback and not opinions of fellow board members.
“My comments about folks that seemed to be anti-police were community member feedback. It had nothing to do with anyone at this table,” Ellithorpe said. “So, apologies if that’s what you heard. That’s not what I was trying to say.”
Krackeler, Brueggeman, Emeka, and Trustee Natalya Lahktakia voted against the hirings, with the other five board members voting in favor.
Members of the community voiced their opinions during the public comment sessions, with some residents voicing their frustration and others praising the board following the decision.
Erin Leary, who said she has two children attending Lake Avenue Elementary School, spoke prior to the board’s vote. Leary said that the arguments in support of SROs has been “only a tremendous appeal to emotion.” She also raised concerns about the impact the hirings may have on the district’s budget.
“This year, the high school un-enrolled students in BOCES programs because there was an over-enrollment that was not in the budget,” said Leary. “There is no social worker at Caroline Street (Elementary School), even though more than 30% of their students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Proponents of SROs have said, ‘We can have both SROs and mental health.’ But when submitted outside of the budget cycle and on its own, this is not doing both.”
Resident Mark Crockett also spoke, and said he feels every district building should have at least one SRO.
“I believe this is a move in the right direction, but I believe all buildings should have at least one SRO,” said Crockett, who also spoke at the later public comment session, thanking the board for their vote.
The Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education will next meet on Jan. 26 at Saratoga Springs High School, according to the district website.
