Falconer school officials are raising concerns over the effects housing the homeless at the Quality Inn is having on Falconer Elementary School and other school grounds.

The complaints raised by Falconer school officials aren’t necessarily a “get off my lawn” moment. Having someone being housed with county taxpayer dollars near a school enter a school bus and threaten the bus driver with elementary-age school children on the bus simply can’t happen. Todd Beckerink, Falconer Central School safety officer, made note of countless instances of homeless individuals trespassing on school property, as well as one instance of two people from the hotel having sexual intercourse on the school playground. Beckerink also noted that needles have been found at various spots around the school grounds recently. In another incident, an individual was arrested for refusing to leave the property and later made a secondhand threat toward the school, prompting a police investigation, according to Beckerink.

That isn’t just basic loitering or panhandling – it’s more serious behavior. Parents and taxpayers have every right to be upset, especially since this isn’t the first time Falconer and Ellicott officials have brought concerns over how those being housed in hotel rooms paid for with taxpayer dollars are affecting the town, village and school district. It’s the latest in a long list of issues. Falconer and Ellicott officials aren’t saying the county shouldn’t use the Quality Inn hotel rooms as short-term housing for the homeless. They are asking for the county’s help in keeping some who are using the county’s short-term housing assistance from becoming a nuisance or worse.

Asking for help is a reasonable request by Falconer, Ellicott and the Falconer Central School district. That help shouldn’t have to come with hefty costs, either. The county doesn’t have to hire security to keep Quality Inn residents off school grounds. One would think the county could make not trespassing or committing a crime in the town or village a condition of accepting the county’s temporary housing assistance. Those who want shelter on the taxpayer’s dime should be able to behave or face the consequences of losing that assistance.

We need to have a heart when it comes to helping those who find themselves without shelter while they get back on their feet. But there are limits – and the behavior seen near Falconer’s schools is one of them.