7.8. SR 09-08-1997cay of
iver
Item//7.8.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor & City Council
Pat Klaers, City Admi)~is~trator
September 8, 1997 ~
City Council D.A.R.E. School Liaison
Update
Per the City Council's request on 8/25/97, a joint meeting with the School
Board has been set up for Tuesday, September 9, 1997, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
This will be an approximately 45 minute meeting so the School Board can
prepare for their regular 7 p.m. meeting that is held in the City Council
Chambers. The purpose of this special joint meeting is to review the
city/school liaison program.
Most of the discussion regarding the school liaison program has centered on
the teaching of the D.A.R.E. elementary program. The school has inquired as
to whether or not the county could provide this service at cost to the district.
The county's response has been in the positive.
Two issues come into play regarding the school liaison program from the
city's point of view. These two issues are the potential of providing the
D.A.R.E. elementary program at no cost to the school district while at the
same time starting to recapture closer to the true costs of the two
junior/senior high liaison officers. If the city can reach an agreement with
the school district on gradually increasing the percentage of repayment from
42 percent of the officers wages/benefits to the actual cost for services of
approximately 75 percent, then staff believes that the city can provide the
D.A.R.E. elementary program at no cost to the school district. The reason
this can happen from a budgeting point of view is due to the fact that we
have approximately $42,000 in D.A.R.E. reserve funds available. These
reserve funds will balance the budget between what the school would have
paid for the entire three officer liaison program at 42 percent versus what
they will be paying for two officers. Unless additional D.A.R.E. contributions
are received from the community, the reserve being used for personal services
and supplies will be depleted in about three years. At that point in time the
city will again have to face the question of whether or not it is appropriate for
13065 Orono Parkway ° P.O. Box 490 ° Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 ° Fax: (612) 441-7425
the county to teach the D.A.R.E. program so that the city can put an
additional officer out on the street with no impact on the city budget.
It is the recommendation of staff that the city offer the D.A.R.E. elementary
program to the school district at no cost for the schools within the city limits.
This is provided that the school reimbursement to the city for the two
junior/senior high liaison officers increase by about 6 percentage points per
year. At this rate, if nothing else changes, the two officers would go from 42
percent funded in 1996-97 to 75 percent funded in 2002-03
\kelkriver\sys\shrdoc\council\liaison.doc