PLACENTIA : DARE Program’s Future in Doubt

The future of the popular Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program in Yorba Linda schools remains uncertain as the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District considers pulling its share of the funding.

As a way to help cut $3.5 million from its budget, the school district plans to withdraw the $130,000 it has contributed to the cities of Placentia and Yorba Linda for uniformed police officers to teach lessons to elementary and junior high school students against drug and alcohol abuse.

The district’s contribution paid for one of the three DARE officers in Placentia schools and most of the cost of one officer in Yorba Linda, which also has three DARE officers.

School trustees have yet to adopt the district’s 1992-93 budget and in fact will discuss budget issues tonight. But district officials said cutting the DARE funding is practically a done deal.

School district officials expressed regret over withdrawing financial support from the successful, 4-year-old program and said they hope the cities can pick up the slack.

“We’re hoping it won’t devastate the program,” said Trustee Judy Miner. “We think it’s a wonderful program. I think that program and Project Self-Esteem have probably made the greatest impact on kids’ attitudes.”

But city budgets are also feeling the pinch, and both Placentia and Yorba Linda officials expressed doubt that they will be able to fund all six officers.

Placentia City Administrator Robert D’Amato has already proposed that his City Council fund only two DARE officers next year, eliminating the one officer the district had paid for. Actually, this would not greatly affect the program, since one of the officers was off duty this year with an injury, leaving only two DARE officers, D’Amato said.

Yorba Linda City Manager Arthur C. Simonian said he is still unsure what he will recommend his City Council do about funding the DARE program, but he noted that his city is bracing for the possible loss of a significant amount of revenue that the financially strapped state wants to keep for itself.

“My problems are bigger than the DARE program,” Simonian said. “The DARE program is a fairly insignificant part of the bigger problem.”

Lt. Bill Lentini of the Brea Police Department, which provides services to Yorba Linda, said he understands Yorba Linda’s financial problems, but he too expressed hope that the DARE program won’t be hurt. Cutting even one officer would significantly impact the program, Lentini said.

“That would reduce the unit by about 30%,” Lentini said. “This is like a seed planted early on. We’re just beginning to see the fruit-bearing years. It’d be a shame to see it stifled.

“If the program raises only one kid’s self-esteem, the program is worth it,” he said.