Mich. Town to Vote on DARE July 26, 2004
News Summary
On Aug. 3, residents of Flushing, Mich., will decide whether the Flushing School District should continue the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, the Flint Journal reported July 22.The ballot initiative would provide $100,000 a year to assign DARE officers to the district's four elementary schools. Currently, a DARE officer is stationed only at the junior high school.
The elementary program was phased out this year after state funding was lost and the city's federal COPS in Schools grant expired. In January, residents spoke out in favor of the program, which is administered through the city's police department.
"It's absolutely worth it," said Diane Rau, whose son Kyle, 8, will enter third grade this fall at Central Elementary. "He's young yet, so we're still teaching him all the values in life he'll need. But those values also have to be projected at the schools."
A vote for DARE would cost local homeowners $25 in taxes per each $100,000 of assessed valuation.
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