PLAISTOW - It will likely be another year before discussion regarding a school resource officer (SRO) at Timberlane Regional Middle School comes up again, despite a recent incident at the high school where a student brought a loaded handgun to school.

Three years ago, the town was awarded a grant from the state Department of Justice to be used for an SRO at Timberlane Regional High School. The grant, however, expired this year, and the district will now incur approximately 80 percent of the cost to keep the high school officer position. Because of this, police and school officials decided that also funding a middle school SRO was too much to ask of voters.

The issue of increased police presence at Timberlane schools came up Dec. 21 during a forum held for concerned parents.

There are approximately 3,000 students on the Timberlane campus, located on Greenough Road, and one officer. Some parents at the forum said one officer was not enough for the student population, which is equivalent to a small town.

The Plaistow Police Department has a grant application pending that would make a middle school SRO more affordable, but Police Chief Stephen Savage said it is unlikely the town will receive the grant.

Savage estimated the cost of a full-time middle school SRO, including benefits, would be between $45,000 and $48,000.

"That’s an awful lot for the district to come up with," said Savage.

Even with another SRO on campus, it would not mean there is a lower chance of an incident like the one at the high school occurring, according to Savage.

"(The incident) illustrates the need and that we are not immune from these kind of occurrences," said Savage. "Still, it doesn’t mean (another SRO) will prevent anything."

Timberlane Superintendent Douglas McDonald said the high school SRO, Officer Joan Marsilia, makes it easier for the school to deal with any illegal activities that occur there, but the position’s primary function is to be proactive and a preventative influence and resource with regard to the high school issues.

"There’s no question when students know an SRO is in the building that they will think twice before doing anything stupid," said McDonald, adding that the SRO was not involved in the incident at the high school until after an assistant principal had confronted the student and obtained the weapon.

McDonald said the topic will be discussed in the future, but unless the town is awarded the grant, a change will not happen this year.

"Any time an event like this occurs, you think about things you might do differently or things that are not in place that should be," said McDonald. "It could happen at any school in America, and we cannot anticipate every situation ... but it’s still a concern."

Savage said a middle school SRO would have to deal with different issues than the high school SRO. He said because many high school students drive vehicles and have more freedom, outside influences have more of an effect on high-schoolers.

Middle-school students, on the other hand, deal with other issues that require an SRO to act more as a support person than a disciplinary figure, according to Savage.

The grant will most likely not be awarded to the town because of shrinking funding for law enforcement at the state level, Savage said.

On Dec. 16, a 16-year-old junior at the high school allegedly brought a loaded handgun to school for protection, according to school administration. The next day, students were sent home from school early because a note was found that allegedly indicated the incident with the gun was more serious than administrators thought.

The 16-year-old student was suspended until a hearing with the School Board can be held. He was also charged with possession of a firearm without a permit and will have to go through the juvenile justice system.