By CHRIS COLLINS

Baker City Herald

Shannin Zednik has returned to the halls she walked 16 years ago as a student at Baker High School.

This time around, though, she’s wearing the uniform of a Baker City Police officer.

The 34-year-old mother of two young sons has been named the city’s new school resource officer, replacing Josh Bryant in the role he filled for the past five years.

Bryant resigned from the police department in March to pursue other interests, said Police Chief Wyn Lohner. Bryant will continue to serve the department occasionally as a reserve officer, however, Lohner said.

Lohner praised Bryant for his dedication as a school resource officer.

andquot;Josh made that program what it is,andquot; Lohner said. andquot;He did a tremendous job. He worked well with the administration and he worked well will the kids.andquot;

Lohner has similar expectations for Zednik, who began her new job by first training this fall to teach Baker School District fifth-graders as the instructor for the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. Her first classes from Brooklyn, North Baker and South Baker elementary schools completed the nine-week program and celebrated with a graduation ceremony on March 11.

andquot;It takes a passion to be a good school resource officer,andquot; Lohner said. andquot;Shannin has the passion to work with youth in our community and that’s what’s going to make her excel.andquot;

The city and the school district share the cost of the program, which this year was split 50-50, for a total cost to the district of $46,060, said Ed Hayhurst, the district business manager. Although paid with grant funding in the past, the program now is paid from the district’s general fund, Hayhurst said.

Zednik, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Concordia University at Portland in 2001, says she will use her skills to help middle school and high school students make good choices as she works with school officials and parents.

During the school year, her hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. She spends Tuesdays and Thursdays at the middle school and the rest of the week she’s on duty at BHS.

Her assignment also includes patrolling the fields and courts during the various sports seasons, and attending school dances and other special events.

During the summer, she will return to patrol duty where she’s been since joining the department two years ago.

andquot;This is an awesome assignment,andquot; she says.

Zednik thoroughly enjoyed her first DARE classes.

andquot;The fifth-graders make that program fun,andquot; she said. andquot;They ask all kinds of questions and tell all kinds of stories.andquot;

At the middle school level, she has found since starting in January that students are eager to talk to her. A certain percentage of her time will be spent teaching them about their constitutional rights and also encouraging them to respond to each other in appropriate ways, she said.

She joins Mindi Vaughan, BMS principal; Gary Shermer, dean of students; and counselor Silas Turner for what is known as andquot;stump dutyandquot; during the lunch hour to supervise students when she’s available.

Although students miss Bryant, they have begun to accept his replacement, Vaughan said.

andquot;Officer Bryant had really created some strong relationships with kids,andquot; Vaughan said. andquot;But (Office Zednik) is fitting in great.

andquot;She plays a vital role in helping kids make good choices. (The officers) do preventive things that really help,andquot; she added.

Zednik expects it to take a little longer to build rapport at the high school level, where Bryant also was popular with students.

There the issues are more serious, and gaining students’ trust will take a while longer, she says.

In her first three months, she has handled several incidents, including the theft of two laptops from teachers’ rooms and the theft of three iPods from students. One of the computers and two of the iPods have been recovered.

Zednik said that although students are encouraged to leave their expensive electronic equipment at home, some just can’t bear to part with them. Some of the issues she handles also are related to students violating the school’s prohibition on sending text messages at school.

As a school resource officer, Zednik has had to adjust to playing by school rules, which require her to call parents before meeting with students.

andquot;I’ve had real good support from parents,andquot; she said. andquot;They like to be informed.andquot;

She hopes to spread the word that she is there for all students, in addition to their teachers and counselors.

andquot;If you have something you want to talk about, we’re here for you,andquot; she tells students.

Zednik said she has enjoyed getting to know a broad range of the student population, not just those who come to the attention of law enforcement.

andquot;Now I get to work with all the best kids the ones who are really excited about the next game or the next school event and I get involved with parents. It’s kind of neat.andquot;