In a scene straight out of Lord of the Flies, Library staff and patrons have been faced with the specter that is a hoard of middle school students taking over the library porch after school, making it nearly impossible for the public to access the library any time after 3 p.m.
At their meeting last week, commissioners approved the job description and pay scale for the position of Juvenile Outreach Specialist and authorized Human Resources to begin the recruitment process immediately. Commissioners hope the action, a result of their work with the Churchill County School District, City of Fallon, and Juvenile Probation Office will institute a novel approach to solving the problem and make the library accessible to all.
According to Jim Barbee, County manager and Chris Spross, Human Resources director, students from the middle school have been obstructing the library after school each day.
This position would fall under JPO and provide references to support services or interventions. “The primary reason is to gain some control over the issues we’re having at the library,” Spross said. The position will pay $26.50 an hour and the school district has agreed to pay 50% of the cost, making the county portion $45,188.
Spross said they have been able to procure some grant funding to help cover that amount bringing the cost to the county down closer to $23,000.
During the October 3 commission meeting, Barbee said, “We have been working with the school district trying to get them to step up on the costs of a security guard after school. It’s gotten that bad, people can’t access a public building.”
The issue is one that led to the dismissal of C.L. Quillen who served as librarian from April of 2023 to May of 2024, and has continued escalating since her departure.
Parents, school district staff, and community members have reported their unwillingness to navigate the gauntlet from their cars through the parking lot, through the sea of students mobbed on the porch, and being blocked by children at the front door.
“The police were there, I witnessed a 14-year-old boy cuss at the librarian,” reported one parent who chose not to let her children out of the car and not access the library.
“In conversations we’ve had with the Mayor, the Superintendent of Schools, Myles (Commissioner Getto) has been in those meetings,” Barbee said, “it went from the issue we’re having with middle school students and the interactions they’re having at the library following the school day and trying to ‘police’ the situation, to taking an approach Lalo (Otuafi, Chief of JPO) brought forward that is a replication of a program they’re using in Carson City.”
The idea, Barbee explained, is to intervene with youth who are having troubles before behaviors elevate and become larger issues that lead to involvement by law enforcement.
“By working with the school district JPO will have access to school records and truancy and be able to start developing relationships with students and families and be able to mitigate problems directly rather than just responding to the actions we’re dealing with at the library. This is something that has been needed in the community for quite some time,” Barbee said. “This is a response to an emergency situation.”
He explained that when the position is filled the person will spend most of their time in the beginning after school at the library engaging with individual students, and over time they will be more integrated into the schools. Currently, local law enforcement, county department heads, and JPO staff have been taking turns being on-site at the library after school to assist library staff in keeping a level of order and safety.
“I want to thank the city, Mel at the Museum, and a multitude of folks who have come out the last couple of weeks and helped us work through the problem,” Barbee said.
During his Superintendent Report at the October 16 School Board meeting, Derild Parsons reported on the situation, saying, “We are working with the county and city on developing a position at the county, co-funded with the district, and will have an agreement to help with truancy and attendance.”
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