Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Quorum Court approves Gurdon resource officer

The Clark County Quorum Court unanimously approved a resource officer for the Gurdon School System during the regular May meeting. The officer will be on staff starting in the fall.

The approval is contingent on the approval of a $105,000 Cabe Foundation grant.

County Judge Ron Daniell said Tuesday the court is in favor of a deputy sheriff being on duty at the Gurdon schools full-time "but this is not affordable without the grant."

Daniell said Anita Cabe has informed him a decision on this grant will be made around May 15.

"As soon as we get the go-ahead on that grant, our quorum court members are in favor of this 11-0," he said. "And Anita is very optimistic about this grant."

Daniell said Sheriffs Department Deputy David Buck has been earmarked as the one to become the school resource officer, if the money comes through.

"It would mean Deputy Buck would be on duty for Gurdon High School, the Cabe Middle School and also have a car, provided by the Clark County Sheriffs Department, so Buck could drive to the primary school if he is needed over there."

Daniell said the idea of a sheriffs school resource officer is to keep young people out of the court system and put them on a productive path.

"If we can change the direction of the life of one student, I say this resource officer program is worth it," Judge Daniell said.

Daniell said Deputy Buck, or whomever is finally put in the tentative resource officer position at Gurdon, will make between $38,000 and $39,000 per year. This includes a benefit package.

The judge said in the first year, the plan is for the Cabe Foundation grant to pay the entire salary.

In the second year, the Cabe grant is slated to pay 75 percent, with the Gurdon School System paying 25 percent.

In the third year, it is to be financed from 50 percent Cabe grant and 50 percent Gurdon schools.

In the fourth year, it would be financed 25 percent Cabe grant and 75 percent from the school system.

And in the fifth year, Daniell said the grant would run out and Clark County would be responsible for 25 percent of the cost of the officer, and the school system expense would remain at 75 percent.

Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson said at Aprils school board meeting that he would be in favor of the resource officer program.

No objections were voiced, as of yet, by any of the school board members.

Daniell said, "Buck would be on duty at ball games and such, so he would have to take compensation time to control his hours. We do not anticipate paying overtime.

"Over the summers, Deputy Buck would be working for the sheriffs department.