AMHERST — Unarmed community responders will have a role in promoting conflict resolution at the Amherst’s public schools, but any responses to school buildings and events from the town’s new public safety team will be guided by terms of a memorandum of understanding.
Members of the Amherst School Committee gave supportive comments on Oct. 18 to the draft deal that is expected to be signed by Superintendent Michael Morris, Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Earl Miller, director of the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service, or CRESS, program.
Committee member Peter Demling said the draft arrangement is strong, with multiple clarifications about the authority the CRESS responders have in handling difficult situations and assisting principals.
“To have this extended social service available that just makes the operation of our schools, the safety of our schools and the supporting of children, students and families, is really great,” Demling said.
“Overall, this is great. I like what is here,” said committee member Irv Rhodes.
The CRESS responders would fall under the supervision of the school superintendent or school principals at the schools, though they could also be under the direction of police and fire officials in emergency situations.
“To me, I feel very proud of this draft,” Morris said. “It really talks about the rules of engagement.”
The memorandum of understanding spells out the situations where it might be appropriate to have the responders on site, such as with any conflict resolutions, but “only when all parties agree to voluntarily engage with their services.”
Any disciplinary matters remain the province of the building principals, according to the draft memorandum, which states that “CRESS responders may provide assistance in situations that may ultimately result in disciplinary consequences for students; such consequences will be determined and administered by ARPS in accordance with its disciplinary procedures.”
Rhodes said he would like the arrangement to have a beginning and end date and that the final copy should be communicated to parents so they understand what they might see or hear about.
Committee member Ben Herrington said he appreciates the deal explains the consensual relationship between the schools and CRESS responders, though there may need to be a clause in the agreement that responders aren’t going to be a regular presence in the schools, or what he termed a “Trojan horse” for getting a school resource officer into the buildings. The schools have a policy prohibiting use of school resource officers.
The agreement also states that the schools will not share with CRESS responders any information about students beyond what is legally allowed, and only with permission of the student’s parent or guardian.
There are also no costs to the schools for use of the CRESS team, including any cost sharing or fee-for-service models.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.