A press release that was prepared weeks ago by members of the Hooksett School Board and Police Department was intended to end an ongoing debate about the existence of safety threats at Cawley Middle School.

But much to the chagrin of the involved parties, the argument is still being discussed.

Members of the community and School Board continue to voice their beliefs that the Police Department intentionally tried to cover up dozens of safe school reports filed during the past two school years at Cawley Middle School.

“Those reports did, in fact, exist,” said resident Marc Miville at a Police Commission meeting on March 17. “It seems to be somewhat sugarcoated. There needs to be another report that clarifies these (safety) reports did exist and that the Police Department didn’t admit it.”

School Board member James Sullivan said at a board meeting March 17 that the press release, prepared after representatives from the School Board and Police Commission met in a closed-door session, was ineffectual and addressed nothing about the serious concerns that have arisen about safety threats at the middle school.

“In my opinion, the press release ... was the epitome of political correctness,” Sullivan said. “It does not address the real reasons behind the meeting.”

Hooksett Police Chief Steve Agrafiotis said his department has nothing to hide.

“We don’t believe we’ve covered anything up. (Police Capt. Paul Cecelio) reported in December what the reports were and that’s the information we have. We gain nothing by hiding anything,” Agrafiotis said.

The disagreement between the School Board and the Police Commission arose several months ago when former School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette publicly addressed her concerns about safety issues in the school.

Agrafiotis, who had sanctioned a schedule change for the school resource officer to accommodate shortages within the department’s patrol unit, responded by saying Ouellette’s claims were exaggerated.

“Nobody is saying that there haven’t been problems but the problems, as reported to us, were not as extensive as people were led to believe,” Agrafiotis said.

“My staff met with the three principals and the three principals did not agree with the tone of Maura’s (statements). We talked to the superintendent. The superintendent did not agree.”

Earlier this month, the school district paid the Police Department more than $900 to comply with a Right-to-Know request to gain access to more than 50 safe school reports to back up Ouellette’s claims.

Ouellette, whose three-year term on the School Board just expired, did not seek re-election to the office. She said the debate over whether or not the safety issues occurred at the middle school has been waged too long.

“I find it absolutely ridiculous that we are still debating this issue. This is an assault on my credibility as well as the credibility of the school district and it will not be tolerated any longer,” she said. “The police reports substantiate the claims. This really has become an issue of public trust. Chief Agrafiotis needs to not only be held accountable for his statements, he needs to apologize and move on.”

The school resource officer has since been reinstated to his full-time hours at the schools, but Agrafiotis said next year’s budget may require future adjustments to current program.

“I don’t know that the budget outcome is going to be. It also depends on staffing issues, which we can’t see the in future. It also depends on how the economy goes,” he said.