All West Geauga Local School District school buildings will have an armed police officer on site for the entire school day beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. The West G Board of Education has entered into multi-year agreements with the Chester Township Police Department and the Russell Township Police Department to make this expansion of our School Resource Officer Program possible.
Expanding the School Resource Officer Program in West Geauga has been a topic of discussion since the fall of 2022. The discussion received added impetus in the wake of a security threat that occurred last spring. As a result, our district is increasing its police presence from one officer to four full-time officers during the school calendar year. All will be commissioned by the police department in whose jurisdiction the school building is located.
These officers are just one of many safety provisions in place. However, I believe that they are one of the most important. We will continue to remind our students and staff members, as part of their ongoing safety training, to be vigilant and to report any potential or perceived threats to an appropriate school official.
I am deeply appreciative to the WG Board of Education and all the residents of the West Geauga Local School District for funding this costly initiative. I am also grateful to the trustees and the police departments of Chester Township and Russell Township for recruiting and training officers and allocating equipment and resources to make this arrangement possible by the time school resumes in August.
I hope that you are having an enjoyable summer break. I will keep you posted on school updates periodically.
Sincerely,
Rich Markwardt Richard A. Markwardt, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools