The Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) met yesterday to discuss additional budget cuts to cover the additional $2 million taken from their proposed budget by the Wicomico County Council. Among the proposals discussed were reductions in funding to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office for “School Resource Officers” (Sheriff’s Deputies stationed in individual schools).
WCBOE Superintendent John Fredericksen proposed that $180,970 be cut from the budget for School Resource Officers (SRO’s). He also proposed a series of other cuts to make up the shortfall in revenue.
Sheriff Mike Lewis has spoken to most, if not all, of the board members. The board members appear reluctant to accept Fredericksen’s proposal to cut the SRO’s budget. One member requested that Fredericksen offer other alternatives to the $181,000 being cut from SRO’s. At yesterday’s meeting Fredericksen refused to provide any alternatives.
The board has decided to meet again next Tuesday at 7:30 AM to re-visit the issue.
14 comments:
Once again, he acts like a child who is not getting his way. Sadly, it will be the children who he is responsible for, who will suffer from his tantrum.
For a superintendent to act this way is grounds for replacing him. His true feathers are showing now. What happened to "it's for the kids?"
Get the deputies out of the schools anyway. We don't need them full time in the schools. What a waste!
9:43 You must not have been in the schools lately. They unfortunately need them and I would support metal detectors as well. The teachers can't control some of these kids of which many have been involved in violent crime for years.
Frederickson is an A**!!! he doesnt have a clue...
I am a teacher at one of the high schools in Wicomico County. I have been teaching for 11 years now. I have watched the violence within the schools grow progressively worse, and feel that things would be extremely worse if deputies were not present. I must say that if the deputies were to be cut from the schools, I will go to another county for employment if possible. I am scared for my life with the gang members that do attend my school. The deputy that is stationed at my school has saved me from altercations with certain students. We (teachers) are not allowed to place our hands on students, and Lord help us if we ever protected ourselves if they assaulted us. I am a very small framed lady, and I need someone with the training and authority to be there to protect me. I know this may sound ridiculous, but until you have worked in this environment and have seen what I have seen, only then will you understand. I know the deputies in the schools handle a lot of situations. If they did not, why would there be deputies in the schools for so long and even increase the amount of deputies within the schools? And just because there are budget woes, you are going to cut the positions out of the budget? I’m sorry Dr. Frederickson, even though you are my boss, my safety and the safety of others is way too important than positions that do exist within the BOE that serve absolutely no purpose. There are plenty of jobs that can be combined under one position, and there are way too many supervisors for supervisors. Again, I rely so much on the deputies in the school and I know I am just one person, but I know other teachers and even students feel the same as I do. Thank you for being a place for me to post my concerned thoughts. If it weren’t for the fact that I am afraid of backlash from Dr. Frederickson, I would post my name to this comment. And I do want to affirm, I am not completely against everything Dr. Frederickson stands for, but this is one important issue I will not waiver from. Please let us find another way to keep the deputies within the schools. Thank you.
Why can't Dr. Frederickson and some of his supervisors who supervise the supervisors go to the schools each and every day to monitor? Get the Principal's out of their office and out in the hallways also. It is a shame that teachers have come to rely on the deputies to get from one classroom to the other or to even walk down a hallway. That is a disgrace.
11:12 AM
Nice post lady.
Don't let the one at WI Middle go that place is a ZOO. The Deputy is busier than the janitor
It's a bluff. Fredrickson is trying to cause a loss of "income" to the specific county departments in order offset the loss of income from the county general fund. He wants those departments to provide him political support.
Let the deputies pull back from the schools. Then when an event is called in, we'll read about it in the police reports which are public record. The school system will be embarrassed and Fredrickson will probably lose his job from it.
Let's see...Matt gets his one cent tax increase to fun his positions for "pubic safety" but we can't get any tax increase to support funding for SROs in our schools?
Doesn't seem fair to me.
Dr. F. controls information given to the Board, tells them what to think and then tries to shame them if they oppose or even question his actions. He has got to go. Do they have the courage? Maybe if they stop being his pal for five minutes they could find some.
Why is the school board paying for the SRO's anyway. If they are employed through the Wicomico Cty Sheriff's Dept why aren't they paying them. Then this wouldn't be an issue.
Anonymous said...
Dr. F. controls information given to the Board, tells them what to think and then tries to shame them if they oppose or even question his actions. He has got to go. Do they have the courage? Maybe if they stop being his pal for five minutes they could find some.
June 17, 2011 5:53 PM
Two of the Board Members have the courage, but one of them has reached their term limits. Fredericksen must go and this is the reason the Liberals want an appointed school board as opposed to an elected school board. Appointed members can be controlled.
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