A police officer-led series of classroom lessons teaching children from kindergarten through the 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug-and-violence-free lives.

From the beginning, the Auburn Police Department and the Auburn School District have worked together to make the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, or DARE, work.

Now, the school district has taken over the DARE program entirely from the City.

While the district recently tapped retired School Police Officer Robin McCluskey to run the DARE program, the City has reassigned DARE Officer Jessica Smith to regular duties. The two had divided the duties of presenting the program to the district’s elementary schools, McCluskey having been responsible for those schools outside of city limits. Two schools, Gildo Rey and Pioneer, have a different program, more tuned to keeping kids out of gangs.

And the City is talking about donating its DARE vehicle to the school district.

“It’ll be a funding relief for the City, and it puts boots on the ground for the City of Auburn,” said City Councilman Bill Peloza. “Whereas (Officer Smith) had been working exclusively for the DARE program, we are netting one full-time, boots-on-the-ground officer, because that officer will be reassigned full time to Auburn City duties.”

“Funding for Officer Smith’s position will no longer be allocated to DARE, but to the police department for a full-time position,” said Mayor Nancy Backus.

The DARE program has been supported over the years not only through the efforts of DARE-certified law enforcement officers but also teachers, students, parents and the community to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children.

Every year DARE touches the lives of 3,000 fifth-grade students in 12 Auburn schools, at the same time providing an opportunity for Auburn Police officers to meet and get to know kids.

“Absolutely I’m convinced it is a worthwhile program,” McCluskey said, noting that DARE also presents anti-bullying and other messages.

Founded in 1983 in Los Angeles, DARE has since proven so successful that it is not only a part of 75 percent of the nation’s school districts but also may be found in more than 43 countries around the world, where it benefits millions of school children.

“The DARE program is a wonderful program for the community,” Peloza said. “It’s hard to measure; however, if we save one or two kids, it’s worthwhile.”