LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Posted on 14 August 2014 by LeslieM

School Board, Wake Up!

Dear Editor:

Most cities don’t have a city resident on the School Board, just someone from a large regional district.

This means that “our” representative deals with not only our 7 schools, but dozens more in other cities.

This keeps the School Board members so far removed from the hometowns that they don’t see the local needs, or the unfairness of many of their decisions.

It is impossible to have enough time to get to know each school’s and city’s needs, and so perhaps decisions are made without enough knowledge. For example, deciding that schools don’t need to have School Resource Deputies (SRDs).

With what this country has seen in the recent past, taking place on our school campuses, elementary, middle and high schools, police in each school are not a frill, but a necessity.

For years, Deerfield Beach has begged and borrowed money for School Resource Deputies for its schools, not a city responsibility, but these are our children.

This expense should be a School Board budget item.

However, when the Deerfield Beach District 4 commissioner contacted them, he was greeted politely, thanked for his call, and then, in effect, told, “Take a flying leap.”

Decidedly, money and politics count more than children in our School Board’s list of priorities.

The money for next year, $199,562 for 2 deputies, which should be paid by the School Board, is instead, with the commission’s approval, coming from Deerfield Beach’s LETF resources (Law Enforcement Trust Fund — money confiscated from drug deals and such).

There is no way Deerfield Beach should be on the hook for the entire expense as the children in the schools come from many other cities. The School Board is not stepping up to the plate, so we have to, but each of the cities which send students to Deerfield Beach should pay their prorated share. Who can make this happen? Whoever it is should get cracking.

Think of the things $200 grand could do for our city, for example, helping prevent crime with children’s programs or, perhaps, helping victims of crime. This won’t get done because we are shouldering the entire burden of keeping our kiddies safe in their schools.

Our commission has its priorities straight. However unfair it is, our city is paying the cost.

To our commission: our children’s safety comes first. I can’t say the same for the Board of Education …

Perhaps we should grab our “pitchforks” and attend a few School Board meetings.

Bett Willett

Deerfield Beach

RE: City Wide Clean-Up for Month of August

I’m responding to the article regarding Deerfield Beach Clean-Up [in the August 7 Observer].

How about the city start with that tent and trailer sitting on our beach, violating many ordinances?

Talk about low-hanging fruit.

James Radyko

Deerfield Beach

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