When Hooksett School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette reported serious incidents of weapons and drug possession by students at Cawley Middle School in an editorial letter to The Hooksett Banner in November, officials at the Police Department were scratching their heads over where her reports had originated.

More than a month later, Hooksett Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis still isn’t sure where the serious allegations came from and SAU15 Superintendent Charles “Phil” Littlefield is ready to move past the debate.

“She might have been exaggerating. I don’t know. Maybe she misunderstood what happened,” Agrafiotis said. “If she has information that we don’t have, give it to us or go back and clarify that her information is incorrect.”

Ouellette’s letter was published in response to the drastic cutback in hours spent by the school resource officer in Hooksett’s three public schools.

Officer Jason Defina, a member of the Hooksett Police Department, had been working full time in the schools to address immediate safety issues and to act as a liaison between the department and the educational community. When his hours were cut from eight hours per day spent in the schools to only two hours per day, Ouellette and other school officials considered it a step in the wrong direction.

Agrafiotis said he had to order the cuts because of personnel shortages. His full time hours at the schools were reinstated in early November.

Now, in an attempt to clear any misunderstanding, Agrafiotis has requested a meeting with Littlefield and the police commission.

“School Board Chair Maura Ouellette made a statement to the effect that the command staff was not being truthful (about the alleged incidents),” Agrafiotis wrote in a recent letter to the Littlefield.

“The commission is concerned because it calls into questions the integrity of the staff members,” he said.

Littlefield, who said he received the letter one day before school vacation, said he has not decided how to proceed.

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought,” Littlefield said. “The fundamental question I need to answer is – however we proceed – is it in the best interest of the kids and the taxpayers? I think there have been some misunderstandings up until now. Everybody is going to have to put those misunderstandings aside because it’s not in the best interest of the kids or the taxpayers.”

He added that although there may be some disagreement over past incidents that may or may not have occurred, the school resource officer program is vital to the everyday workings of the schools.

Several members of the Hooksett Police Department attended the Jan. 6 meeting of the School Board, but did not speak.

The board has scheduled a meeting with the Police Commission on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 6:30 p.m., at Cawley Middle School, to hash out everyone’s concerns.

“We certainly need to get this cleared up,” said School Board member Jim Sullivan, adding that the dispute is serving as poor public relations. “We need to get answers to some questions.