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School resource officer helps students, staff 

During an afternoon passing period at Bluff View, it's not unusual to see kids gathered around Chad Abram. He greets them by name.

Some just want to say hello, others want to talk with him about something they've seen or heard around school that concerns them, or something that's on their mind. It's clear that most kids trust and like him.

"The kids were stand-offish at first," Abram said. "The trust factor is getting better."

Abram is just about to complete the first half of his first year as Prairie du Chien's first school resource officer.

Last fall when the idea for this position was brought before the city council, it sparked spirited debate between supporters and opponents. The city council refused to grant funding for the position at first. But after an overwhelming show of support from teachers, principals and child advocates in the community, the council relented and agreed to fund the position on a one-year trial basis, which began in January.

Abram said that it took a little time for everyone to get used to seeing him at the schools. He does not wear a uniform, but he does carry a sidearm.

He said at first students and some adults thought of him as a glorified hall monitor, that he would be walking the corridors looking for someone who was late to class. While he does keep an eye on the school parking lot at lunch time and some outdoor areas near the school building where kids congregate, he does not patrol the school. He does sometimes walk the halls during passing periods to make himself available to students. But the school resource officer does not enforce school regulations or hand out detention slips.

Abram says that his job title just about says it all. "I am a resource for students and staff," he said.

And Abram is a resource that gets used. According to Abram, he has logged 180 student contacts in his five months on the job, about 80 percent of these contacts were initiated by students themselves, Abram said. Many of the students have come to him first. "The contact with the kids is above and beyond what I expected," Abram said. Teachers and staff are making use of the resource, too. Teachers have requested Abram to conduct classroom presentations on a variety of topics, such as bike safety at B.A. Kennedy and sexual harassment and abuse for seventh graders at Bluff View.

During a normal day Abram spends the morning at the high school and the afternoon at Bluff View. He has a small office at each building. He visits B.A. Kennedy and Prairie Catholic schools when requested.

Kids stop in at his office to ask how they should handle the speeding ticket they got over the weekend or other legal questions. And they let him know about fights or harassment they might have seen. Harassment and bullying are the most common issues raised. A lot of the time, kids just want someone they can talk to. Listening is a big part of Abram's job. "It's part of being a resource officer," he added.

Sometimes he can have a big effect on a student. He mentions one student who was caught shoplifting. Abram helped the student through the legal process; he was sentenced to community service. Instead of being intimidated or angry about being confronted by the resource officer, the student responded by staying out of trouble since then, and he visits with Chad regularly.

At Bluff View, Abram recently intervened in a case where a student discovered that a few dollars had been stolen from his wallet in the boys locker room during gym class. Abram did not know who had stolen the money, but he spoke in front of the class announcing the theft, and that whoever had stolen the money could return it by placing it under his or the gym teacher's door, no questions asked. The cash was promptly returned. "I can't fix everything, but I can help one person at a time," Abram said.

Of course, some incidents are more serious. Abram has written up 80 case files for the police department of various incidents that crossed the line from school discipline to legal problem. Students involved in these cases were subject to arrest, warnings or referred to juvenile justice or social services.

Students and school staff seem to feel pretty positive about having Abram there.

Students this reporter spoke to at Prairie du Chien high School all had positive comments about the resource officer, and one said she felt it made the school safer.

According to Wendy Garrity, guidance counselor at Bluff View and B.A. Kennedy, having a school resource officer has been much more helpful than she anticipated. She works closely with Abram frequently, as his office is next to hers. She says that having Chad in the schools increases the connections between the school and the community and vice-versa. Plus, she says it gives school staff another option when dealing with troubled students. "Now we have another tool besides slapping hands and sending kids back to class. Kids who have a history of harassing others can now be cited under the legal code," she noted. Often this might be enough of a deterrent to get kids to think about and change their behavior.

Abram will address the city Personnel Committee this week to give them an update on his position. In April, a grant was submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice Community Based Problem Solving Criminal Justice initiative for just under $200,000 to fund the school resource officer position for two years. According to Rick Peterson of the Care Council who helped write the application, there are only eight of these grants given out nationwide, so competition will be fierce. He thinks that the rural nature of the area plus the fact that Prairie's system of community support for the resource officer is something that can be duplicated by other rural communities will be helpful factors. "We'll continue to look for funds," Peterson noted, if the grant is not successful.

PdC athletes on to State Track Meet

On Thursday evening, the Prairie du Chien boys and girls track and field teams competed in the WIAA Division 2 Sectional Track Meet at Marshall. The top four placewinners in each event qualified for next weekend's State Track and Field Meet in La Crosse.

The boys finished in 30th place out of 33 teams with six points. The 800 meter relay team of Alex Stormoen, Kyle Kozelka, Tyler Keeney, and Michael Waller placed eighth with a time of 1:36.42. Chance Harvey placed fourth in the shot put at 52' 5.5" and qualified for the State Meet.

The girls finished in 13th place out of 32 teams with 23 points. Deidre Dillman placed sixth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:02.13. The 1600-meter relay team of Jordan Jaynes, Crystal Steiner, Candace Kazynski, and Deidre Dillman placed fifth with a time of 4:17.03. Deidre Dillman won the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:20.58 and qualified for the State Meet. The 3200-meter relay team of Jessica Yanna, Ashley Gillitzer, Laura Forsythe, and Jordan Jaynes placed 3rd with a time of 10:01.21 and qualified for the State Meet. That time is a new school record, breaking the old record of 10:09.4 set in 1977.

The State Track Meet is held at UW-La Crosse. There is no precise time schedule for the state meet. All events start at 10:30 a.m. On Friday, Deidre Dillman will be running in the 1600-meter run at approximately 12:15p.m. On Saturday, the girls 3200-meter relay team will be running at approximately 10:45. On Saturday, Chance Harvey will be competing in the shot put at 10:30.

Hampton, Martin to run at State Meet

River Ridge scored 29 points to take eighth place at the Division 3 Arcadia Sectional in boys track and field Thursday afternoon, while the River Ridge girls scored one point to take 32nd.

The Timberwolves will send two athletes to the State Meet in La Crosse June 3 and 4. The top four individuals in each event qualified for State.

Kyle Hampton finished second in the 100-meter dash Thursday in 11.19 to qualify for State. Jon Martin finished third in the 200-meter dash in 23.54 and second in the 400 in 51.72 to qualify for State in both events.

Hoffman races to State

The Wauzeka-Steuben girls track team scored nine points at the Division 3 Arcadia Sectional Thursday afternoon to finish in 23rd.

Katelyn Hoffman finished fourth in the 200-meter dash in a time of 27.35 to qualify for the State Meet in La Crosse June 3 and 4. The top four individuals in each event qualified for the State Meet.