|
 Aside from the safety aspect, an effective SRO has
the opportunity to bring much more to the overall school
environment. Successful SROs proactively address safety issues and
concerns, build working relationships with school staff, and
positively impact the lives of children.
Lincoln Police Chief Paul Adams understood that
the benefits of choosing the right officer for the position would go
beyond reducing violence across the district. His selection of
Officer Christy Fruge has proven to be a valuable asset to District
#27.
Lincoln Junior High Principal Mike Workman, who has worked closely
with SRO Fruge, is thankful to have her as a part of the LJHS staff.
“Christy has become an essential part of the junior high team in a
very short amount of time. Her professionalism, knowledge of the
community, and ability to develop relationships has not only helped
students tremendously, but the faculty and staff as well. She brings
positive energy to our buildings on a daily basis and is always
willing to assist whenever possible.” Aside from her SRO role, Officer Fruge has worked hard to build and
establish the D.A.R.E. program throughout the community. Regarding
this program, she stated, “It is so important to get officers into
the schools to help educate students on good behavior and making
good decisions. This program does multiple fundraisers a year and
every penny is given back to our youth in Lincoln and Logan County.”
SRO Fruge is regularly helping students across the
community, whether it is providing clothes, shoes, or coats, or
offering to pay athletic fees to ensure all students have an equal
opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities.
Over the past two years, the connections she has formed with
students have been extraordinary. As she pointed out, “The most
rewarding part of my job is the relationships I am building with the
students. Many of these students would likely not speak to a police
officer out in public, but now it is not uncommon for them to stop
by my office to seek assistance or simply to discuss future goals.”
[to top of second column] |
Unfortunately, House Bill 29 was recently introduced
to eliminate SROs across Illinois. Without question, this would
negatively impact districts throughout the State. Hopefully
legislators in Springfield will recognize the many positive aspects
of the SRO position and continue to allow them to be a vital part of
the school community.
|
Read all the articles in our
new
2021 Education Magazine
Title
CLICK ON TITLES TO GO TO PAGES |
Page |
|
Educating
in a most challenging year |
4 |
| A
preschool that is exciting, educational and
engaging |
5 |
| Local
educators creating practical math |
6 |
| The
efficacy of remote learning |
9 |
|
Differences in college education during the
pandemic |
13 |
|
Changing the social dynamics of education |
19 |
| School
resource officer makes positive impact |
24 |
| What's
a dog doing in school? |
26 |
|
Academics and meaningful lessons blended |
31 |
| The
return of school sports |
35 |
| Logan
County School profiles |
38 |
|
|
