PA district puts police in elementary schools

(Scranton) -- A northeastern Pennsylvania school district has hired armed police officers to guard its elementary schools, a response to the Connecticut school shooting.

The Riverside School Board voted during Christmas break to add officers to its junior-senior high school and two elementary schools.

Riverside is the only district in Lackawanna County to permanently place armed police officers, called school resource officers, in its elementary schools.

Riverside Superintendent David Woods says the officers will act as a deterrent.

The district is spending $45,000 to have the three officers stationed in schools through the rest of the school year.