PHOTO BY MEGHAN ERKKINEN

Students describe Officer Jeff Sterba, the DARE program teacher, as someone who brightens everyone’s day. “No matter who you are, he’s happy to see you,” said Fife High School student Ryann Carter.

DARE officer, students - friend to retire

By Meghan Erkkinen

Officer Jeff Sterba enters a classroom at Fife High School. He barks at the students menacingly.

“Riff raff!” he yells as the students turn their heads. But instead of cowering, they break into smiles.

“Hey, Officer Sterba,” a few say. “How are you?”

He grins back.

“Every day’s a holiday!” he replies.

Sterba has known these students since they were in grade school – most of them graduated from his DARE program while they were elementary students. When he isn’t teaching his DARE classes, he is the student resource officer at Fife High.

“I’ve taught generations of families. I had one family where I taught eight kids,” Sterba said. “Most of these kids I’ve known since kindergarten.”

Now, after more than 18 years teaching and patrolling at Fife schools, Sterba is retiring. His last DARE graduation will be in December.

“It’s been great to have him here,” said senior Rachael Blaurock. “He’s always been here for all of his students, since grade school.”

Student Ryann Carter feels similarly.

“For me, I see him in the form of a grandpa,” Carter said. “He takes care of everyone the best he can.”

For school faculty, too, Sterba has had a significant influence.

“You won’t find a guy that cares about the schools like he does,” said health teacher Steve Slavens. “He’s pretty integral to this school.”

Slavens and other teachers often take advantage of Sterba’s expertise, as well. He frequently makes visits to classes, talking about anything from drugs to the Fifth Amendment. Sterba spends four days a week at Fife High and one day teaching the DARE program to elementary students.

For Sterba, drug education is more vital now than it has ever been.

“When I grew up, I thought snow and ice were snow and ice,” he said. “The pressure on these kids nowadays to be in a gang or get involved in drugs and alcohol [indicates] the way our society has changed.”

Because of this, he teaches his students not only about the dangerous effects of drugs, but also about how to be assertive and say no to peer pressure.

Sterba began his work in the school district after a fight with a meth dealer that landed two officers in the hospital. He was considering retiring, but the police chief asked him instead if he would work in the schools. Now, Sterba is finding it hard to leave.

“I’ll miss the kids,” he said. “The kids and the staff.”

He also said he would miss the city.

“The community has just been absolutely awesome,” Sterba said. “You get to just stop and talk to people.”

After he retires, Sterba will move to Las Vegas with his wife. His biggest goal in retirement is to relax.

“I’m going to golf a lot,” he said.

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