ADAMS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Parents packed the Adams Township Board of Supervisors meeting Monday night to voice concerns about the possible policing changes at Mars area schools.
“I’m asking the township supervisors to stop and work with the board in making the changes to a reversal in the decision,” said Joe Joswiak, a Mars Area Middle School coach whose granddaughter is in the district.
The Mars Area School District is cutting ties with the two armed school resource officers (SRO) from the Adams Township Police Department.
Instead, the district wants to have a police force that’s made up entirely of its own armed school officers.
“I think it’s a very bad mistake not to hire them back,” a grandfather said.
In a message to parents on Monday, Superintendent Mark Gross said, “While similar to the current hybrid model, this new structure is designed to improve internal communication and organization through a unified chain of command and clearer accountability.”
Adams Township Officer Mike Bordt is the Mars Area High School Resource Officer. He argued an SRO’s job and a school police officer’s (SPO’s) job is not the same.
“School police officers focus on security and maintaining order. School resource officers focus on this but specialize in mentoring youth and community outreach,” said Officer Bordt.
Under the new plan, the district would go from six armed officers to five and add an armed safety and security director.
The Adams Township Police officer would be replaced with the armed safety and security director at the high school. The other Adams Township officer would be replaced with a school police officer at the middle school.
The current unarmed security director would be cut and no longer be stationed at the administration office.
Adams Board of Supervisors Chairman Russell R. Ford claims school board leaders told him money to keep Adams Township officers wasn’t an issue, but days later, reversed course.
“The phone call came down to me about a week ago from their attorney who told me, ‘The board had a meeting the night before, just want to let you know. Oh, by the way, your school taxes are going up.’ Number two, ‘There’s not enough money for the Adams Township Police Department, so we’re going to go our own way, and we’re going to terminate the contract at the end of June with the Adams Township Police Department, and we’re going to bring our people in,’” said Ford. “I can promise you we weren’t happy. I think it is imperative we have a full police officer.”
Chairman Ford also said he wanted school leaders to have a town meeting with parents, but that didn’t happen.
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