GUILFORD — Following a brief discussion at their February 11 meeting, the Guilford Selectboard passed a motion to allow the Guilford Central School to piggyback on the town's contract with the Windham County Sheriff's Department, pending confirmation that it is the situation that will work out most easily.
Guilford school principal John Gagnon explained his reasoning for increased police presence at the school in an initial letter sent to the Selectboard. A formal proposal will be submitted to the Selectboard following Guilford's March 5 Annual Town Meeting.
“After speaking with Sheriff Keith Clark, it appears it would be cost prohibitive for the school to enter into an individual contract with the Sheriff's Department,” Gagnon wrote. “However, the school would be interested in contributing money towards expanding the services that the Sheriff's Department provides Guilford to include weekly stops at the school as well as more episodic services such as truancy cases and providing security at major events such as graduation.”
The department is currently contracted by the town to provide nine hours of traffic control per month, which costs $4,000. Selectboard member Troy Revis said that any additional work that the Sheriff's Department does for the town is gratis, including a large amount of money from a recent investigation that they performed.
Truancy cases go directly to the State's Attorney rather than constable Walter Thorn at the moment, according to Selectboard members. By piggybacking onto the existing contract, the school would be able to get a better per hour rate by simply increasing the total hours per month to allow expanded police coverage.
“I would assume it would just be a way of the school getting the Sheriff's services at the town's rate,” Selectboard member Anne Rider said. “Basically what they [the school administrators] are saying is 'why don't we put some money in the pot and we'll give you more services.'”
Revis was unsure how he felt about the school merging with the town's contract. “Since we contract with them for traffic, going to the school adds on a another responsibility for the sheriff to handle,” he said. “I'm not sure why they can't contract with the sheriff themselves rather than go through us.”
The Guilford School Board also recently voted unanimously in support of liquidating the town's middle school and sending students to Brattleboro Area Middle School instead. This decision will be formally voted on and finalized at the upcoming town meeting.