Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 Source: Times, The (Munster IN) Copyright: 2005 The Munster Times Contact: http://www.nwitimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/832 Author: Susan Brown Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) TOWN, SCHOOL OFFICIALS SEEK NEW WAYS TO SHARE INFORMATION Shared Police Costs, D.A.R.E. Effectiveness Discussed MUNSTER -- Town and school officials met for more than two hours Monday to discuss questions of mutual interest, from the costs they share to police students to the major building projects affecting the property each owns. The two bodies have been holding occasional public discussion sessions for several years. Policy decisions are left to regular meetings of each board, but the interaction helps set some direction. Drug control and prevention took the lead with school Superintendent William Pfister reporting the latest in the school district's efforts to share information with the Munster Police Department. Following the meeting, Pfister said the intent was to put more teeth in the school town's already stringent substance abuse policies. Students involved in extracurricular activities and athletics sign a "drug pledge" promising not use alcohol, tobacco or drugs. The schools also employ random drug testing. A recent effort to share information between the school district and the police department has been scuttled by the Lake County Juvenile Court, Police Chief Nick Panich told the two boards. A similar information-sharing program has been operating in neighboring Porter County for about 10 years, but Lake County juvenile officials believe the policy to be illegal. School board member John Friend proposed the schools consider looking into a plan acceptable to the courts before revisiting the question. Along similar lines, the two boards discussed whether the shared cost of funding the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) met the mark. Town Councilwoman Helen Brown asked if national studies might help evaluate its effectiveness. "For every study that says it's not working, another study says it is working," said Judith Florczak, school board president. Because of the difficulty of measuring its success, Panich said he had considered inviting graduates to testify to the role the program might have played for them. D.A.R.E. Officer James Ghrist said his six-month experience with the program left him little downtime because students brought him concerns far beyond any drug issue. With shared costs from such programs as D.A.R.E. and the School Resource Officer being closely scrutinized by both the town and the schools, Pfister said it's likely similar services could be provided more economically. It's not a change he'll be proposing in the near future, though. Pfister said he prefers having the presence of one police officer in the schools over two school safety specialists. But as the financial screws tighten, Pfister said the question might come up. The two boards also listened to a presentation by Munster Town Manager Tom DeGiulio on the 200-acre park that will replace the landfill and affected neighboring property and an update by Pfister on the wrap-up of 10-year, $45 million school improvements. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth