Friday, October 25, 2019

Schuylkill IU 29 Offering Student Resource Officer Training

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 (IU29) is partnering with the National Association of Student Resource Officers (NASRO) to offer the 5-Day, 40 hour Basic Student Resource Officer NASRO Training at the Mar Lin location.

This course educates law enforcement officers about the unique circumstances of functioning as a police officer within a school setting and also includes discussions about problem solving and teaching skills. Stacey Collis, an approved NASRO Instructor, based in Colorado, will be facilitating the training.

The NASRO Training is mandated for all Student Resource Officers by Act 67 of 2019 (Act 67), which went into effect August 31, 2019. Act 67 amends Article XIII-C of the Pennsylvania School Code and makes updates to Pennsylvania’s school safety laws, specifically regarding the training and credentials for school resource officers (SROs), school police officers (SPOs), and school security guards. This mandated training must be completed by February 2020. “Meeting the requirements of Act 67 has been challenging for school districts and law enforcement offices across the commonwealth due to the time commitment of the training, the cost of instruction, and the need to travel for the specialized training. IU29 is pleased to offer this service locally,” said Dr. Gregory Koons, Executive Director of IU29.

“Fifteen participants, representing school districts and law enforcement offices from throughout the county, are currently registered for this training”, said Barb Wilkinson, Supervisor of School Improvement and District Support Consultant, who coordinated bringing this training to the county.