MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The Manitowoc Public School District is updating its school resource officer contract for the first time in nearly a decade, and one big change is the end of the D.A.R.E. program.
The district says the review was sparked by new district and police leadership.
"We as a district decided that we are going to discontinue the D.A.R.E. program," MPSD Superintendent Lee Thennes said.
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The decision to end the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, otherwise known as D.A.R.E., was made collectively by the district and police after finding similar districts no longer offer it and research showing a lower impact than in the past.
When asked if there is an alternative to the D.A.R.E. program that will be offered, Thennes pointed to the district's curriculum.
"It’s through our social and emotional learning curriculum, making sure that our students have constant reinforcement about social emotional learning instead of just a flash in 5th grade, they get it their whole academic careers," Thennes said.
But not everyone is on board. Manitowoc parent Jim Heinicke says D.A.R.E. provided important early connections and real-world warnings.
"My personal opinion is they don’t really teach any drug education so there’s no chance of children learning what happens with that stuff," Heinicke said.
Heinicke said he worries removing the program could leave gaps.
"There is so many students that just won’t make contact with the resource officer, where the D.A.R.E. program could’ve at least done that," Heinicke said.
"They need the education. Even if it only helps two kids, so what, that’s two kids," Heinicke said.
Thennes says school resource officers aren’t going anywhere. Three officers will remain, with one at both Lincoln High School and Washington Middle School, and one based at Wilson Intermediate School that will assist with elementary schools and Lincoln.
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