Deputy Donnie Bordenkircher, a prevention resource officer, said, "There were some prescription drug problems and a lot of bullying."

But in this school of more than 200 students, officials said those issues are pretty much gone -- especially the drugs -- and administrators credit Bordenkircher for that.

"Prescription drugs are hard to find but easy to conceal. It's just good to have the visual of the law enforcement officer to deter it and suppress it," he said.

He said that's especially true when prescription drugs are easy for students to get. And in Wetzel County, he said there's a large majority of residents taking prescription medications.

Bullying cases have also dropped across the board in ninth through 12th grades.

"I walk around the school a lot. I'm present in the classrooms at lunchtime. I'm present all the time so there's less of a chance for them to do that -- to bully," Bordenkircher said.

This is the third year Bordenkircher has been patrolling the school full-time Monday to Friday -- and he said it's taken this long to build trust with students.

His position is funded through a grant with the state of West Virginia, and at a time when budgets are being cut on a regular basis, officials said this is one program that is paying off in a big way because "it's an asset that helps the school prevent any terrorist threat or anything bad happening in the school."