In conjunction with the Gilroy Police Department, the Gilroy Unified School District will reinstate the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program, an initiative that disappeared from the curriculum in 2005 as a result of new guidelines and lack of state funding. The program was taught in Gilroy schools for 18 years and reached 9,000 students before it was scrapped and replaced by the current LifeSkills Training program.

The LifeSkills program is offered to fifth and sixth graders and focuses on self-esteem, social skills and drug resistance. However, the program does not cover the primary drugs abused in Gilroy, gang violence, peer pressure, bullying and Internet bullying, district staff argued. The D.A.R.E. program does, they said.

Superintendent Deborah Flores surveyed fifth grade teachers for input on reinstating the D.A.R.E. program.

"They wanted D.A.R.E.," she said.

"Obviously we have a gang problem in Gilroy … heavy drugs are predominant around this city," said Sgt. Kurt Ashley during his presentation to the board of trustees. "The D.A.R.E. program covers that."

When the program disappeared from Gilroy's schools, the GPD received many complaints from parents, teachers and students that loved the program, Ashley said.

Another important aspect of the program is the relationship that develops between the officers and the students, he said.

"It humanizes the officers," he said. "When these kids grow up, they'll be comfortable with us. They won't be afraid of us and will be able to talk to us."

He reminded the board how the D.A.R.E. graduation ceremonies used to be accompanied by pomp and circumstance.

"We want to really make it something to be proud of," he said.

Trustees voted unanimously to bring the program back into fifth grade classrooms, replacing the LifeSkills Training. LifeSkills will now be offered in fourth and sixth grade, meeting the state requirements, and D.A.R.E. will be offered in the fifth grade. Ten 45 minute lessons will educate students in the ways of the world - how to resist gang violence, drugs and alcohol, avoid bullying, handle peer pressure and make good decision.

"I've seen a drop-off in the kids who didn't go through it," Trustee Denise Apuzzo said. "There's a difference in the kids. I'm very happy to be reinstituting this."

Like Apuzzo, Board President Rhoda Bress's children also went through the D.A.R.E. program. Bress extolled the virtues of the program, emphasizing the humanizing effect for the students that comes from spending time with the police officers.

The police department agreed to absorb the cost of the police officers' salaries as well as most of the $7,000 worth of costs for materials. The district will chip in $1,000 annually to bring back the program.

"We want to make this work," Ashley said.