As a parent of children in our middle and high schools, I feel compelled to bring up the issue of school safety in Durango. I believe that all parents in our community who have kids attending school are very worried about their children these days. We send them off each day and hope they come home to us safe. This is the sad state of our world these days.
Right now, there is an effort led by parents to find workable, reliable solutions to the threat of school violence. Currently, in Durango, there are schools that do not have safety officers present on a daily basis. To my understanding, this is due to the lack of funding, not resources.
Recently, the city and county have been discussing hiring a homeless coordinator. On Dec. 7, the Herald reported that this position, office space and materials would cost around $100,000 per year. I do not oppose solutions for the homeless, but I do feel strongly that right now we need to address the fact that the one thing we can say does provide security for our children at school is a law enforcement presence.
We need the community and elected officials to meet and find funding for each school, so all of our kids are protected. There are many suggestions out there right now that have merit. Please get involved and act now for our children. I encourage all parents to take an active role in finding a solution that works for our community.
James Pitts
Durango
