As the school year draws to a close, my husband Peter and I are reminded of our daughters and the years they spent in Peoria’s schools. As the days and weeks went by, as we went to parent-teacher conferences, attended school events, and helped them with their homework, they grew before our eyes. In high school, we watched as they became talented young women, ready to take on the world. In many respects, my husband and I grew alongside them, both as parents and as professionals. Both of us had been raised in humble circumstances, so we were committed to their education and became involved in their schooling whenever and wherever we could. As they spread their wings, we learned the ins and outs of the educational system. Eventually, we both ran for school board positions, and while I served on the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) board, Peter served on the Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) board, which focuses on career technical education. Even though our daughters are grown, we’re still committed to public education and school safety and today I serve as the Chair for the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee, while Peter teaches at Grand Canyon University and continues his service on the West-MEC board.
Both Peter and I would like to offer our thanks to Mayor Jason Beck for his commitment to Peoria families and our local schools. I worked with Mayor Beck as the City and State developed their annual budgets, and we secured $7.6 million in state funding to meet Peoria’s public safety needs. This includes funding for a real-time crime center, a new public safety helicopter and a mobile command center.
Because he shares our commitment to school and public safety, Mayor Beck also worked diligently to secure city funding for four additional resource officers to enhance the safety of our elementary schools. Not only will this program provide immediate onsite assistance in the event of a school emergency, it will allow our students and families to familiarize themselves with law enforcement as Peoria continues its efforts to build community trust between the public safety department and local residents. These types of relationships encourage regular communication between law enforcement and residents and are vital for creating a safe and healthy community because they allow the department to quickly address public concerns while developing programs and services to meet resident needs.
It is regrettable that some valley school districts continue to reject the presence of law enforcement in their schools despite the evidence that they improve school safety and contribute to healthy relationships with law enforcement.
Peter and I would also like to thank Lieutenant Colonel Daven Byrd of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Peter has been working with the Lieutenant Colonel Byrd to implement internship programs through WEST-MEC and our local high schools. These public safety internships will provide students with training opportunities, including Six Sigma, along with meaningful work experience in IT and Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Administration/Audit. Lieutenant Colonel Byrd has done a wonderful job in creating and implementing these programs, and his assistance has been invaluable.
Lastly, Peter and I would like to thank the resource officers who serve our schools, both for their professionalism and for their dedication to school safety. As we looked back at our daughters’ education, we realized the resource officer at their high school was as much a part of our school community as any–a familiar face and reassuring presence on their campus, during school events and at their graduation. We offer our appreciation to our PUSD resource officers because, too often, their devotion to our families goes unnoticed.
Rep. Beverly Pingerelli is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives (Legislative District 28), and Chairwoman of the House Education Committee.
Dr. Peter Pingerelli PhD, is the Chairman of the West-MEC Governing Board.