SCHOOLS MAY PAY TO KEEP DARE

After County Legislature Cut Anti-Drug Course, Some Districts Plan to
Fund It

Some school officials in Onondaga County are looking to their own
budgets to restore an anti-drug course that has been taught by
sheriff's deputies.

This fall, the county legislature cut DARE - Drug Awareness Resistance
Education - out of the sheriff's department's 2003 budget to save
$428,600, although sheriff's officials say the saving would be far
less.

So sheriff's officials, along with schoolteachers, parents' groups and
administrators, are looking at school budgets and even PTO
fund-raisers to keep the program going.

"The schools have been devastated at the prospect of taking away the
DARE program," Sandy Laurenti, a Lyncourt teacher who has spearheaded
the effort to restore DARE. "I can't begin to tell you the difference
it makes when an officer comes in and teaches the class."

Laurenti presented the idea to the legislature's Public Safety
Committee Thursday. It was approved 5-0, with Legislator Sam Laguzza,
D-Syracuse, abstaining. The county legislature will vote on the idea
Monday.

DARE is a 17-week nationwide program in which uniformed deputies or
police officers teach about the dangers of drug use. Typically, the
deputies teach fifth-graders, although the program is changing next
fall to a 10-week program that would be taught in various grades. The
course is one hour each week.

Lyncourt, North Syracuse and Marcellus school districts have sent the
county letters saying they plan to pay for DARE next year. Three other
districts - LaFayette, Tully and Baldwinsville - as well as St. Daniel
School on Roxford Road in Lyncourt, said they were interested but
needed to find a way to pay for the class time.

The county legislature cuts did not affect some school districts, such
as the Syracuse school district, where municipal police departments
provide and pay for the instruction.

If all school districts with DARE officers from the sheriff's
department choose to continue the program, the county could expect to
collect $56,478.53.

The sheriff's department based the charge for each district on the
number of children served. The charge takes into ac-count each
instructor's salary, benefits and vehicle costs, said Chief William
Peverly, who serves as one of the chief administrative officers in the
department.

The schools that want DARE for the spring would have to pay for 17
weeks. Those who want the class for next fall would only pay for 10
weeks, Peverly said.