FINANCIAL BUSINESS REQUEST (FBR)
Motion/Request:
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MOTION to allocate up to $12,500 from the National Opioid Settlement Funding (account # 20810201-58206-24206) to support the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 administration of the DARE Program in Ledyard Public Schools.
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Background:
Recently the Police Department reinstated the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program in Ledyard’s Schools. Most of the costs to administer the program was for personnel which required about 133-man-hours.
Because of the Police Department’s limited staffing level, a Police Officer is taken from their regular patrol for about 10-weeks to teach multiple times in the schools, which culminates with a DARE Graduation.
The Opioid Settlement Funding Guidelines under Prevention Programs states the following: “Funding for evidence based programs in schools”.
The cost to administrate the DARE Program in the schools was $8,058.47 based on the middle range of the pay scale for the 133-man hours.
The DARE Program supplies which included items such as Workbooks and DARE Merchandise were covered by donations.
|
HOURLY RATE STEP 4 |
OVERTIME RATE |
DARE HOURS FY25 |
Total Anticipated Expense FY26* |
|
$40.39 |
$60.59 |
133 |
$8058.47 |
*Workbooks, DARE Merchandise are covered by donations, therefore not included in this cost projection.
The Opioid Settlement Funding Account balance was about $91,000.
The following allocations have been made from the Opioid Settlement Funding Account:
• $30,000 Ledyard Prevention Coalition- Town Council Action 9/27/2023
• $10,000 - Community Speaks Out - Town Council Action 10/23/2024
• $10,000 - Connecticut Recovery Support Center - Town Council Action 1/22/2025
Department Comment/Recommendation:
The Department provided the DARE program lessons to approximately 185 students at Ledyard Middle School in the fall of 2024. The department recommends this allocation in collaboration with Ledyard Public Schools.
Finance Director Comment/Recommendation:
I updated the amount to $10,000 in order to accommodate any related benefits.
Mayor Comment/Recommendation:
I recommend increasing allocation to $12,500 to cover DARE workbooks and merchandise, should donations fail to materialize.