Schools

DARE Program Transition Timeline to be Discussed Monday

The Village of Clarendon Hills and District 181 are planning on a research and planning period during the fall, and the implementation of a new model in the spring.

The following is a release from the Village of Clarendon Hills:

The Village Board will discuss a timeline proposed by District 181 for eliminating the DARE program and reduced school resource officer presence for the upcoming school year at its meeting Monday night.

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Over the last several years, the village has been reviewing operational costs to find additional ways to reduce expenditures. The village has focused available resources on core functions, such as infrastructure maintenance and public safety. The village approached the District about restructuring DARE and reducing the school liaison role earlier this summer in order to better reallocate village resources. In addition to DARE, the school resource officer spends significant non-classroom time assisting the schools with various functions and activities.  Reductions are proposed in both classroom and non-classroom time in order to return the officer to the police department schedule to ensure adequate shift coverage.

District 181 has developed a timeline for incorporating important DARE lessons into the district's existing Social and Emotional Learning for Academic Success (SELAS) program. The district has proposed using the fall semester to work with stakeholders to develop a new curriculum that merges DARE into the SELAS program. The program would be presented the Village Board and District 181 Board of Education in November.

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Under the proposed concept, teachers at , and would be trained in the new program, which would then be implemented in March. Program graduation ceremonies would take place in June. 

"The village is committed to ensuring the new program is well developed and maintains the strong link between the school district and the police department, and continues to provide effective anti-drug and alcohol education to our students," village manager Randy Recklaus said. 

The Village Board meetings are held at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.


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