The debate between the chairman of the Hooksett School Board of the chief of police over alleged weapons and drug possession incidents at Cawley Middle School will continue until the two groups can agree on a time and place to meet.

The School Board recently extended an invitation to members of the Hooksett Police Commission to attend the board’s Jan. 20 meeting to voice concerns or questions they might have about safety issues at the middle school. Police Commission Chairman Dave Gagnon said it will be impossible for the groups to meet that evening because the commission also has its regular monthly meeting scheduled for the same date.

Until then, questions about whether such incidents occurred at all will go unanswered.

“We’re working on it with them,” Gagnon said.

Maura Ouellette said a meeting between the two groups would be beneficial.

“This will get everyone in the room and it will be a chance to hash out everything that’s on the table,” Ouellette said at a School Board meeting on Jan. 6.

The verbal exchange between Ouellette and Police Chief Steve Agrafiotis originated when Ouellette expressed public concerns about various weapons and drug possessions incidents at the middle school in Hooksett. She said it is necessary for a full-time school resource officer to monitor the three Hooksett public schools so that these cases could be kept at a minimum.

Her comments stemmed from a schedule change ordered by Agrafiotis that cut back the hours that officer Jason Defina, the town’s school resource officer, spent at the schools. Agrafiotis said the changes were necessary to fill in gaps in the department’s schedule that resulted from personnel shortages.

Defina has been suspended from duty for reasons that have not been made public, but which Agrafiotis has said have nothing to do with the school resource officer position. He is expected to return to duty Jan. 19.

Agrafiotis has maintained that the allegations about drugs and weapons issues at Cawley Middle School raised by Ouellette are unfounded. He and members of the Police Department have repeatedly claimed her information is incorrect. Ouellette stands by her original statements.

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