By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent

Points brought up by concerned parents this past week were addressed by Dr. Kirk Wright, in a question and answer form as submitted by the Times-News.
One question of concern among parents was the fact that there is no longer a resource police officer at the schools.
“The district does not have a resource officer this year due to budget reductions as a result of a revenue shortfall the state suffered this past year when the economy went into a serious decline,” said Wright.
He said that the Juab School District Board of Education went through an intense series of meetings last spring and ultimately had to determine what programs, staff salaries and benefits would be cut.
“The Board had to decide whether to increase class sizes, cut valuable instructional programs, or critical support services such as the school resource officer,” he said. “The Board considered the School Resource Officer a valuable asset and very reluctantly made the cut in a painful budget cutting priority process.”
Wright was also asked about a emergency and disaster preparedness plan, if the district did have such a plan and if it was referred to by district administrators.
“The district does have an emergency and disaster preparedness plan,” said Wright. “In relation to last week’s bomb threat the district does have a procedure related to likely false bomb threats as well as likely real bomb threats.”
He said that, while every bomb threat is considered serious, law enforcement and school personnel considered last week’s bomb scare to be very likely false for a number of reasons.
“Consequently, the procedures taken centered around a likely false threat.”
“When a bomb threat was found on a restroom stall last Wednesday morning students were en route to school and some high school classes were already in session,” he said.
“While the dangers of exposing students to a potential explosion are obviously of great concern, there is also substantial danger in releasing students from school when many do not have parents at home or otherwise may have no supervision.”
He said that situations around the country indicate students released from school, in some cases, could be in more danger than if they remained at school.
Wright said that the district administration realized that situations like the bomb threat and the evacuation of students, when a criminal was being sought in connection with the murder of a law enforcement officer in Delta, create a high degree of anxiety and fear.
In the case of last Wednesday’s bomb threat, he said, the district administration apologized for the tension and inconvenience it caused both students and parents.
“I appreciate the calmness and competency of the involved law enforcement agencies as well as the efficient and caring actions of the JHS and JJHS staffs in handling the emergency,” said Wright.
Wright said that the principals of both schools were away at the annual principal’s winter conference and workshop.
Wright was also asked about the district cell phone use policy.
He said that students are allowed to have cell phones at school as long as they are used appropriately. The policy is that they are not to be out nor used during class time.
However, he said, students are often encouraged to use those modern technical devices in times of emergency to contact parents. Steve Paulsen, Nebo View Elementary principal, in the earlier elementary school evacuation incident, had suggested that students contact their parents and that those without a cell phone call a parent on a friend’s cell phone.