Strasburg, school leaders to negotiate resource officer agreement
STRASBURG (WJER) (Aug. 28, 2023) – The Strasburg-Franklin school district system could be getting a resource officer.
Nothing is official, although Mayor Steve Smith will be meeting with district leaders to talk about the possibility of the village co-funding the position. Finance Committee Chairman Jeff Smith anticipates a cost-sharing agreement like the ones that fund the school resources officers in Dover and New Philadelphia but says they still need to iron out the details.
“Keep in mind the financial portion of it has not been discussed on how, what percentages would be, who would be responsible for how much, that sort of thing. There’s only been an initial conversation back in June, something of that nature, about a potential police grant.”
Looming over the discussions is an ongoing feud over a garage that the village and school system once shared. The district is claiming partial ownership and wants to move buses back into the building that it vacated years ago. The mayor says the dispute cost the village its table at last week’s Back-to-School Bash.
“The superintendent stated that he could not allow us to participate in the tables process because of the school bus issue and that it was the end of subject.”
Superintendent Vince Lindsey and school board members have threatened legal action against the village, but nothing has been filed in court at this point. Solicitor Terry Seeberger says he received copies of two maintenance agreements but no conclusive proof to back the ownership claim.