Pennsylvania Auditor-General Wants School Safety Advocate Office Funded
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Pennsylvania state auditor-general Jack Wagner is renewing his call to fund an advocate's office to deal with violence in Philadelphia public schools.
The office of the Safe Schools Advocate was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2000, but funding for it dried up in 2009. The advocate, among other responsibilities, would compile data on violent incidents to bolster disciplinary followup, according to Wagner.
"The primary issue we've made within this audit is safety and security," said Wagner today during a visit to Philadelphia.
Wagner suggests the $350,000 needed to fund the office be included in a line-item appropriation in the state Department of Education's proposed budget.
Wagner's audit also shows that the Philadelphia School District lags state-mandated training hours for the 400-member school police force. Wagner says it may not cost the district more to train future hires.
"Some school districts have required applicants to have already received that kind of training," he notes.
The school district says its personnel do not fall under the Act 120 training requirement, and notes that while municipal police forces get subsidies to cover training costs, the school district is not eligible.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio 1060.
