FACTORYVILLE - More than two months since she started patrolling both district schools, the woman responsible for adding another layer of security in the district introduced herself to members of the public.
A 12-year juvenile probation officer in the Lackawanna Trail School District, Daralyn Carr shared stories and answered questions about her new responsibilities at a school board meeting Monday.
"I am meeting with all the staff and teachers about safety planning and lockdown procedures," Ms. Carr said. "I am a resource to students and I kind of provide assistance whenever necessary."
A longtime Wayne County probation officer whose responsibilities within the district were limited to the junior-senior high school, Ms. Carr's pay, hours and duties were all increased in February as the board pushed to "provide more security" in schools, Superintendent Matthew Rakauskas said.
Carrying a handgun, handcuffs, pepper spray, a radio and a police baton, Ms. Carr spends about 15 to 20 hours at the schools each week. Her focus, currently, is to introduce herself to elementary school students and faculty, while implementing "lockdown" plans for each classroom.
She said her contract runs through the 2013-2014 academic year. Mr. Rakauskas couldn't provide salary details at the meeting.
"We wanted to make her a K-through-12 kind of person, who is here in a proactive measure," Mr. Rakauskas said. "She has been doing a great job."
In just the short time since Ms. Carr's responsibilities have expanded, she has "made the high school much safer," Principal John Rushefski said.
"She is trained to be a law-enforcement officer and thinks like a law enforcement officer and gives us that perspective," he said. "I think we are better off as a district."
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