FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - Butler Township Supervisor Chairman David Kessler wants to allay some fears that the township is shouldering the burden for security at North Schuylkill.
Reading anonymous, public comments posted in the media, Kessler said he found that someone asked why the township pays for the full-time officer at the school when the North Schuylkill district consists of residents from Butler Township, Ashland, Ringtown and Gordon.
At Tuesday night's supervisors meeting, Kessler said at the start of the current school year, the North Schuylkill School District and Butler Township entered into an agreement for the township to provide part-time officers during school days for security services.
During the township meeting on Oct. 3, when the supervisors approved the agreement, township solicitor Christopher Riedlinger explained the school district's responsibilities.
"The school district will not only pay for wages that the township would owe those officers during those times but the school district will also reimburse the township fully for any costs, such as increased insurance premiums, any type of certifications needed by an officer to be on site at a school," Riedlinger said. "Any cost falling on the township as a result of this would be paid by the school district."
As part of the agreement, the two part-time police officers are on-duty only at the school district campus and would not be called out to perform any other law enforcement activities in the township at those times.
Kessler said the news article in The Republican-Herald about the Oct. 3 meeting explained that providing police officers to North Schuylkill would not be a burden on the taxpayers.
"I want to make that clear," Kessler said.
Kessler congratulated North Schuylkill for its actions in order to protect children and staff.
"The most important thing I'd like to say is kudos to the North Schuylkill School District that they were proactive in putting police officers in, way before there were 20 people killed at any school," Kessler said, referring to the mass murder at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that left 26 people dead, including 20 children.
"Second, the Butler Township police doesn't pay for this. The North Schuylkill School District is paying," Kessler said. "I want to make this clear because things like this fester."
Kessler pointed out that federal grant funds may become available to schools for security measures and an additional township police officer may be assigned.
"There may be an upgrade from the one to two police officers assigned to three officers," Kessler said.
Police Chief Edward Tarantelli said when police officers are not on duty, the district provides other security. When there are after-school sporting events that draw crowds, the district informs the township and the police department provides a presence.
Tarantelli said that originally, one officer was on duty but now it has increased to two officers, one in each building, and a third officer may be added as a rotation so that when an officer needs to leave his post at an entryway, the third officer will go to that location to fill in.