by Phil Blackwell

A summer-long debate about the presence of a DeWitt Police officer within Jamesville-DeWitt School District buildings will continue through the rest of the year, even as the officer will reassume her duties next week.
By a 5-4 vote, the J-D School Board Monday night approved a modified memorandum of understanding allowing the SRO to return on Sept. 21, reversing a decision to remove that position made a month earlier.
Several complaints made about race-based incidents at J-D High School served as the spark for the discussion over whether a police presence had a positive or negative effect on students.
After the Aug. 24 vote to remove the SRO, the district formed a 40-person task force of teachers, students and parents which would meet over the course of several months and survey the community to get their opinions.
Revisiting the issue, the district-wide safety plan was brought up again in a special school board meeting Sept. 10.
After superintendent Dr. Peter Smith outlined several different approaches the district could take, the board, by a similar 5-4 vote, agreed to modify the safety plan with an SRO in place, mostly to work at the high school.
At the regularly scheduled board meeting four nights later, several speakers spoke passionately both in support and in opposition to the SRO.
To supporters, which included J-D school psychologist Elaine Howe, having the SRO since 2018 has made the job of counselors and other staff members easier to handle.
“We feel safe and better able to do our jobs,” said Howe.
Among the speakers opposing the move was recent J-D graduate Ben Hughes, who described a “climate of fear” during his time at the high school and said students were not given more input on the matter.
People on both sides of the issue still have plenty of chances to have their say. By state law, the district’s safety plan must be put up on its web site for 30 days, with a public hearing set for Oct. 5 and a final vote on that plan slated for Oct. 19.
There is also the task force, chaired by Nate Franz, the district’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and J-D High School assistant principal Candance Johnson, who will meet over the next three months.
In the meantime, it did not take long for J-D to have to confront COVID-19 as a student at Jamesville Elementary School tested positive for the coronavirus, which forced J-D officials to close the school on Monday.
Smith said that on Sunday afternoon, both he and Jamesville Elementary principal Marcy Baker learned of the positive test, beginning a process of contacts between the district, parents, teachers and the Onondaga County Health Department, led by commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta.
Later that night, after informing all parents and meeting with teachers, the district decided to close the school to allow for further cleaning and sanitation before opening on Tuesday.
“I think we made the right decision and it was an incredible learning experience,” said Smith, offering praise to Baker and Gupta for their assistance and guidance.
Otherwise, said Smith, the opening of school proceeded smoothly at all of the other buildings, with students and teachers excited to return after a six-month absence.
“It was a huge step forward and a tremendous pick-me-up for everyone,” he said.