Schurz LSC votes to retain police at the school

by BRIAN NADIG

The Schurz High School Local School Council at its Aug.11 meeting unanimously voted to keep school resource officers on the Old Irving Park campus.

LSC teacher representative Cathy Wrenn said that the issue of police at the school should not be viewed as “all or nothing” but as an opportunity to “build bridges.” In a school survey, most of the faculty members who responded voiced support for retaining the officers.

LSC teacher representative Tim Anderson said that “we have a bigger problem than (the SRO issue).” He added that  too many students apparently did not know what the word “retain means” because their comments did not line up with how they voted on the survey.

LSC staff member representative Lucille Thompson said that several Black parents have told her that they send their children to Schurz instead of their neighborhood school because “they find it is a safer school in a safe neighborhood.”

Principal Dr. Anthony Rodriguez said that his vote in support of retaining the SROs was based on his views as an administrator at the school and as the parent of an incoming freshman at Schurz this fall.

The council held three town hall meetings on the SRO issue earlier this month in addition to conducting a survey for students, parents, teachers and community members. About two-thirds of the approximately 140 survey respondents voted to retain the officers.

The council asked Rodriguez to give regular updates on the SROs at future meetings and to invite them to a meeting.

It also was reported the school is undergoing extensive renovations this summer, as Rodriguez said the library and mural are being restored and the roof is being repaired.