Vigo Co. school board approves school safety plans

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The Vigo County School Board decided the future of security in the county Monday night. The school board looked at the two plans for placing armed guards in the city and county elementary schools.

Last week, the Vigo County Sheriff proposed his plan for adding deputies to rural elementary schools. Over the weekend, the Terre Haute Police Department developed their own plan to add officers in city elementary schools.

Both plans were sent before the school board Monday.

Prior to the vote, city and rural elementary school principals spoke about the appreciation they had for the officers already in schools.  One by one, each principal approached the podium to tell the board that they and their students felt safer from the new security measures.

Sheriff Greg Ewing outlined his plan one last time for the board, explaining the cost to the school board would be 135,000 dollars.

Terre Haute police Chief John Plasse then explained the city plan which comes in around $170,000.  But, the matching funds from the city's plan come from the police department seized assets fund.
    
With very little deliberation, one-by-one the school board unanimously voted to pass the measure to protect schools no matter what the cost.

“We believe with a healthy cash balance we can sustain this over the long haul. I think the other part of this is: can you really put a price tag on the safety and security of our staff,” Vigo County Superintendent Danny Tanoos said.

Chief Plasse says over the next month he thinks he can start implementing their plan in city schools.

Sheriff Greg Ewing will now have his proposal go before the county council to get matching funds for the rural schools.