Concerns surround school safety funding

A Costa Mesa man has been working to get local officials to fund more safety programs for young students, and after a weapon was brought to Killybrooke Elementary School recently, he believes now is the time to act.

Mike Brumbaugh is concerned young children aren’t receiving enough eduction about gangs, weapons, bullying and drugs. He worries about the end of programs working to help children, like ASK (or Advocates Supporting Kids), and about losing school counselors, so much so that he has spoken up to the Newport-Mesa school board and to the Costa Mesa City Council, but lack of funding and research has set him back.

“I am not saying DARE or project ASK is the fit, what I am saying though is, as far as the city and school board, it is time to pull together and find something we can do,” Brumbaugh said. “Let’s work toward a goal.”

The Surgeon General of the United States in 2001 declared that DARE “does not work” and it isn’t implemented in the Newport-Mesa School District.

The ASK program started in Newport-Mesa after receiving $8.5 million in grants in 2005 for four years. The program focuses on school safety surrounding violence, alcohol, drug prevention, mental health and policy.

But funding for the ASK program is draining away and will be gone in little more than a year. Eight counselors will be let go when funding runs dry, and a void in education will be left, according to district officials.

Jane Garland does outreach and advocacy for project ASK within the school district. She also hopes the district can work to retain counselors and keep projects alive that help children.

“The belief, by most of us, is school shootings don’t happen from sane children,” Garland said. “If a child is disturbed in any manner, we intervene and get them mental health help.”

Some Orange County groups are trying to raise funds to help programs and keep counselors, but it isn’t cheap, Garland said.

To keep district levels of counselors at one per school, totaling 22, Garland estimates it would cost $1.8 million a year to pay for them.

That is where Brumbaugh reenters the picture. He is working with Killybrooke Principal Kathy Sanchez and Costa Mesa Police to educate children. They want to have assemblies, classes and educational opportunities addressing the issues counselors and programs like ASK would normally handle.

“There is a lot of issues at different schools, but like everything in life, some people don’t want to stand up,” Brumbaugh said. “If I can help make a difference there, with the help of Sanchez, maybe it becomes a model.”

The school will have “Safety Family Night” the first assembly as part of Brumbaugh’s campaign on April 15. Topics will be weapons, alcohol/drugs, threats, and gang prevention, according to Sanchez. The school will then follow up with assemblies to recap with students.

“My fight isn’t over yet,” Brumbaugh said.

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at [email protected].