2021 Education Magazine

School resource officer makes positive impact
By District 27 Superintendent Kent Froebe

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[February 26, 2021]   Before the start of the 2019-20 school year, Lincoln Elementary School District #27 partnered with the city of Lincoln to bring a school resource officer (SRO) to the district.

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.”

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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

 

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