Changes Coming to D.A.R.E Program

There will be no D.A.R.E. classes in the Harrison Central School District next year as the program moves from the fifth to sixth grade curriculum, according to Harrison Superintendent Louis Wool.  The popular program is scheduled to resume during the 2011-2012 school year.

The year off will prevent Harrison fifth graders from going through the program twice.  It will also give the school district and Harrison Police Department more than a year to organize the program after losing a significant amount of man-power to retirement this January.

"It left us in a bind to find personnel to staff it," acting Harrison Chief of Police Anthony Marraccini said of the retirements.  "This gives us a chance to find the right person."

The school district is currently paying Mark Tamucci to run this year's D.A.R.E. program before the transition takes place.  D.A.R.E. works with students on a plethora of issues including bullying and drug awareness.  It is typically run by an active police officer.

Both Wool and Marraccini said that temporarily stopping the program in order to move it up one grade level makes sense given the current situation.

"We thought, in consultation with the police, that this would be a good time to realign the program," said Wool.  "Both sides think this is a good opportunity."

The program is scheduled to be used as part of a health class when it resumes at the sixth grade level.  Given the content discussed during the program, Marraccini thinks that the move will be beneficial for students.

"Sometimes I think that it may be introducing children to drugs at too young of an age," said Marraccini, who has a child attending fifth grade in the Harrison School District.  "I think this works out best for the town, absolutely."

The Harrison Police Department is already working to find a permanent replacement for when the program returns.  However, given the long hiatus the program will take over the next year, there is no need for a rushed decision.

"First and foremost is the success of the program for our children," said Marraccini.  "We need to make sure that the program is successful."