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Voters will have say on adding personnel to Jackson schools’ security force

JACKSON – On Nov. 6, residents will be given an opportunity to have a direct say on the size of the Jackson School District’s security force. The district includes six elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools.

A public question on the ballot will ask voters if they want to add six school security officers at a cost of $411,611 for the 2018-19 school year. District administrators said approval of the question would allow for the hiring of six full-time security officers to provide full coverage at all schools.

Voter approval of the ballot question will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy, administrators said, noting those security expenditures are in addition to the expenditures that are necessary to achieve the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

District administrators said if the question is approved, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $327,047 would pay about $10 more in annual school taxes to cover the additional personnel.

Superintendent of Schools Stephen Genco explained the Board of Education’s thought process behind placing the security question on the ballot.

“This was a budget year that, even going to (the maximum allowable amount) and using an insurance waiver, ultimately we still had to reduce our force by 14 staff members to make the budget work,” Genco said.

He said that factor combined with collaborating with the Jackson Police Department to think about better ways to secure the schools.

“I believe our schools are safe, I believe our schools are secure … we have done a number of things through the years and continue to do things through the regular budget,” Genco said. “The only way to increase our security force, which is currently made up of many retired police officers, was for us to look at the (ballot question). With the addition of six full-time security officers we would be able to provide full coverage to all of our schools, all day.”

He said that during a meeting with representatives of the police department, district administrators considered hiring Class II and Class III special law enforcement officers, as well as additional school resource officers.

“In the end, after talking to our board attorney and our insurance carrier because we have to consider if people are (school district) employees, are they indemnified to carry a weapon/firearm?” Genco said.

He said district administrators decided to expand the security force with security officers who will be district employees who are retired law enforcement officers. Approval of the ballot question “would be arming our current district security (officers) and six additional (school security officers),” Genco said.

He said board members believed putting a public question on the ballot was the best way to move forward.

At present, the school district employs a director of security and 10 full-time and three part-time security officers. Through a shared services agreement with the township, two Jackson police officers work in the school district.

“We do our best to secure all of our facilities and with the additional six security officers it would allow us to do just that,” Genco said.

Board President Scott Sargent said the board is confident the additional personnel would add another layer of security to Jackson’s schools.

“We feel strongly about increasing the force,” Sargent said. “It is always best to have a face in each building. There is certainly a value for the voters to make the decision on the direction of the (additional security).

“I feel confident that with Dr. Genco working with Mayor Michael Reina and the municipality, we have done a good job moving security to where it needs to be, but it is important for the community to make a decision when it comes to spending this much money,” Sargent said.

“That is all the intent (of the Nov. 6 question) is, just to add another layer (of security) and in speaking to the community after (the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting), this seemed to be something the community was interested in us moving forward with. This (question) is the only way in which we could do it the right way,” Genco said.

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