Madison County Schools to restart DARE program, beginning with kindergarten at Central School

Dr. Minsky announced at the Madison County Schools board meeting on April 10 that the district is restarting the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, beginning today at Central School for kindergarten students and with plans to expand to other grades and schools.

"Our DARE program is back, and it is starting at kindergarten at Central School," Dr. Minsky said, noting the program began at Central at noon. He said the program will be introduced across the district after the initial roll-out.

Board members and staff emphasized the role of School Resource Officers (SROs) in the relaunch. S2 thanked the Madison County Sheriff's Office and specifically named Deputy Reuter, calling the office a "critical part of the safety of our schools," and described a long-standing cooperative relationship between the district and local deputies.

S4, who described military-family experience while supporting the Purple Star program earlier in the meeting, and S3 noted that SROs took DARE training and had to pass a test to be qualified to deliver the program. Board members discussed the program's history locally — saying DARE had been in the district decades ago, was followed by a program called GIVE, and then went on hiatus — and framed the relaunch as a restoration of an important prevention and safety program.

S2 clarified the initial rollout plan: this year the program will start at kindergarten, and the district plans to expand to fifth grade and beyond in subsequent years. Board members characterized DARE's return as an important step for student safety and family support.

The relaunch was discussed during administrative reports and was framed by board members as part of ongoing safety efforts; no new budgetary amounts or program vendor details were provided in the transcript.