More information on the county’s plans to house probation and parole in the former food stamp building at social services is expected to be presented to the Weldon school board next month.
Superintendent Elie Bracy III said board members are concerned because the building is close to the entrance of the middle school.
While it has already been stated sex offenders will report to the day reporting center instead of probation and parole, Bracy said the school board still has concerns about the types of offenders coming to the building.
“We’re concerned that such a building is close to the middle school,” board Chair Pattie Cotton said this morning. “I think we supervise children well but children have a tendency to wander off. We’ve been proactive, looking at the angles.”
Cotton said the board also worries drugs could enter the school. “It’s nationally known they have found drugs in middle schools.”
The board’s chair believes there could be better arrangements and wants to know whether there are other probation and parole offices near schools in other parts of the state. “We would like to visit them and see what has happened.”
Cotton said the school board doesn’t want to be an indifferent neighbor. “We want to be a working partner. We want to be accountable for the safety of our children. We have a great responsibility as it is. We would not like to take anything on of what might happen with some parolee.”
William Mitchell, judicial district manager, confirmed he was meeting with the school board again, but said security measures were up to the county. “We’re not in charge of what the county plans to do with the building.”
He said community corrections agreed to have sex offenders report to the day reporting center.
While he said probation and parole wants to be a good neighbor, some of the parolees have business with social services. “We can prevent them from coming to us, but not social services.”
Asked what probation and parole’s responsibility is in the matter, Mitchell said, “There’s not a whole lot. The legislation requires the county to provide us office space. It’s basically in the county’s hands.”
Cotton said, however, “They are keyed on saving money. How much is a child’s life, even one, worth? You can’t put a price tag on one.”
She said she would like the county to look at the old Andrew Jackson school building. “Why not rent it from us? It is a state building. They wouldn’t have to pay like they would for some other building.”
Cotton said the school board will continue to look for other solutions. “We’re trying to be on top of this.”
In February the county agreed to renovate the former food stamp building after the state informed officials it would no longer pay the lease for the current building, which is located in the Forest Hills Shopping Center in Roanoke Rapids.
With an annual lease payment of $26,640 and annual operating costs of $15,000, commissioners decided they could make improvements to the food stamp building for $87,000.
The food stamp building has 5,500 square feet while the current building has 3,000 square feet.
The county will add fencing to the building and additional security measures may be added as allowed by the budget, County Manager Tony Brown said earlier this week. The additional security could include lighting and cameras.
