D.A.R.E. ENDS AT KELLER DISTRICT SCHOOL

KELLER -- There will be no Drug Abuse Resistance Education program at Fossil
Hill Middle School in the 1998-1999 school year, police officials said.

Also, Keller Police Chief Bill Griffith's plan to replace D.A.R.E at Bear
Creek Intermediate School has been put on hold for at least a year, although
his plan to house a juvenile services substation at Keller Middle School
appears to be on track, he said yesterday.

Fort Worth police said that they will continue to teach D.A.R.E at Chisholm
Trail Intermediate School, but that they cannot afford to continue the
2-year-old program at Fossil Hill Middle School.

"We are downsizing the unit," said Sgt. D.L. Morton, D.A.R.E. unit
supervisor for the Fort Worth Police Department. "Instead of having one
full-time [officer] and one part-time [officer], we will just have one
full-time officer. It's an expensive program."

Griffith complained about D.A.R.E.'s cost in June when he asked Keller
district trustees to consider replacing the program at Bear Creek
Intermediate School.

"We can create a different program that would cover 12 years," Griffith told
trustees. "What we are looking at is expansion."

Keller police teach D.A.R.E. to fifth-graders. Griffith said recent studies
have shown that the program is only effective if taught at all grade levels,
which the Keller Police Department does not have the money to do.

School district officials said the district needs a more developed plan
before dumping D.A.R.E.

"Our plans at this point in time are to continue with D.A.R.E for this year
and have our curriculum people work with him [Griffith] to write a new
curriculum for next year," Superintendent Charles Bradberry said. The Keller
Police Department does not have enough money to continuing teaching D.A.R.E.
to Bear Creek Intermediate School's expanding fifth grade, so during the
1998-99 school year the department's officer now working at Keller High
School will spend two days a week at the intermediate school, Griffith said.

Griffith said he is committed to setting up a juvenile services substation
and holding facility at Keller Middle School.

The facility will not be a jail, but a room approved by the state as being
safe and proper to detain children "until their parents arrive," he said.

"We will have one sergeant and one investigator there and an approved
holding facility," he said. "I'm very committed to the personal contact
between the students and police officers."

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett