Todd School Board approves hiring of resource officer

The Todd County School Board approved the hiring of one single resource officer for all five of its campuses at Monday night’s meeting using grant money and a partnership with the Elkton Police Department.

It was a unanimous decision by the board, which had discussed the measure in a workshop several days ago. Superintendent Wayne Benningfield said the person hired will have a presence at both elementary schools, the middle school, the high school and the alternative school.

Board Chairman Matt Perry says the officer’s schedule will be dictated based on a number of issues including any pressing need at a given time.



Elkton Police Chief Bruce Marklin says the officer will be paid by the school system, but trained by his department. The chief says he’s been looking for a way to bring a resource officer to Todd County Schools for several years, but the funds hadn’t been available until now.


Chief Marklin says he hopes the officer will build relationships with students at the schools so they will feel comfortable confiding any information to him or her that would relate to the buliding’s safety. The officer’s salary will be paid for by safe schools grant money provided through the state.

In other action, Board Member and Pennyrile Area Development District Director of Community Development Amy Frogue said officials are still waiting to hear back from the government on whether Todd County will receive the two million dollar federal grant to build the Career Path Institute. She says the state grant money is approved, as long as the project gets done by the end of 2015.
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02/11/2013/am