Pubdate: Tue, 07 Aug 2001 Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal (SC) Copyright: 2001 The Spartanburg Herald-Journal Contact: http://www.goupstate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/977 Author: Baker Maultsby, Staff Writer D.A.R.E. PROGRAM PHASED OUT LOCALLY Go to any school lunchroom, mall or playground in America, and you're likely to see the T-shirt: "D.A.R.E."To Resist Drugs and Violence." Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) has become a common experience, an educational rite of passage, for a generation of American kids. Lauded for its efforts to steer kids on the brink of adolescence away from trouble, D.A.R.E. was honored this past spring by President George W. Bush, who declared April 12 "National D.A.R.E. Day." But, despite its presidential endorsement, D.A.R.E., which puts law enforcement officers into fifth-grade classrooms to lead drug and violence prevention activities, is on the way out in Spartanburg County schools -- the result of questions by funding providers about the program's success coupled with the expansion of similar school-based strategies. Sheriff's Lt. Ron Gahagan confirmed that Spartanburg County school districts partnering with the Sheriff's Office have chosen not to re-sign D.A.R.E. contracts. District 7, which worked with the City of Spartanburg Public Safety Department, has cut the program, as well. The effectiveness nationwide of D.A.R.E. as a drug abuse prevention strategy long has been challenged by critics, and the federal government's support for the program has waned in the past two years. A federal grant called "Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities" provides funding to districts across the nation for the purpose of drug abuse and crime prevention. Before last school year, local districts got the word the grants were not to be used for D.A.R.E., according to Calvin Jackson, Deputy Superintendent of the State Department of Education. Jackson said that since President Bush's inauguration, the federal government has backed off its refusal to fund D.A.R.E. But federal support remains in limbo, he said. Dissatisfaction with the program was not cited by local school officials. Funding decisions, however, did lead some to dump D.A.R.E. Brenda Story, coordinator of student services for District 7, said local dollars funded D.A.R.E. last year, but budget cuts hit the program this time around. So the district will use its "Safe and Drug Free" money, along with other grants, to beef up other programs. Story, who says she was a fan of D.A.R.E., is working with the Public Safety Department to develop a classroom strategy called "KOOL" -- Kids and Officers Observing Life. Public Safety officers will talk with sixth graders about conflict resolution, decision-making, peer pressure and the law. Another program used in District 7 and other districts is the Second Steps Violence Prevention Program, which teaches kids in grades K-4 study skills, character development, conflict resolution and drug prevention strategies. Second Steps is seen by some school officials as a good alternative to D.A.R.E. "I think it's a more comprehensive program," said Ed Simpson, assistant superintendent for personnel and pupil services in District 3, where youngsters will also take part in Second Steps. Meanwhile, the school resource officer program continues to grow. The Sheriff's Office has deputies working in each district in the county. The officers perform a wide range of functions at schools where they work, from charging students with crime to mediating conflicts among students to teaching lessons on the dangers of drugs. Most of the county's school resource officers are trained to teach D.A.R.E. lessons. That experience will be put to use in programs like Second Steps. All of which seems to indicate that even as D.A.R.E. -- the nation's single most visible partnership between schools and law enforcement -- is on the way out locally, cops will be as active in schools as ever. And it appears that federal and state grants, as well as money from private foundations, will see to it that public schools and law enforcement remain closely linked. And that's a good thing, say officials on both sides. "We think the presence of law enforcement gives kids a positive feeling," said Joyce Lipscomb, operations analyst with the Spartanburg Public Safety Department. "It's good for youngsters to have a positive experience with officers at an early age." Story made her appreciation for the role local law enforcement plays with her students clear: "The Public Safety Department is our very best partner," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom