Retired school resource officer Wolansky takes Consortium role

The transition from school resource officer to Sussex Consortium paraprofessional was smooth for Tim Wolansky.

“It was bittersweet to leave the state police. I miss the work, but it’s so rewarding getting to know everyone here personally,” he said. “By the end of the year, these kids will be like family to me.”

Wolansky was a Delaware State Police road trooper before becoming a school resource officer. However, he began his career by teaching middle school language arts and reading for 10 years in New Jersey.

Because of his teaching background, Wolansky said, he was guided toward being a school resource officer. He worked at Seaford High and Carver Academy before transferring to Cape.

“I live in the Cape district, and my kids go to school here, so I have a vested interest in helping kids in the Cape Henlopen School District,” Wolansky said.

As a paraprofessional, Wolansky works with high school students in the autistic program in school or in the community through the Consortium’s vocational program.

“It’s really rewarding to see students do something as simple as clean a table for lunch when you know it’s the first time they’ve ever done it,” he said. “I’ve already seen progress in the kids in just the short amount of time I’ve been here.”

Wolansky said he always felt he would return to teaching when he retired from the state police.

“As a trooper, I always worked with people in the community who needed assistance,” he said. “That was the most rewarding part of my job. Working here is a different kind of reward, working with the kids and watching their progress. I can go home at night knowing we’ve done some amazing things here.”

Wolansky said an added benefit to the job is that he doesn’t have to shave regularly for the first time in 21 years.

“It’s nice to not have to shave, but I didn’t know it would come in gray,” he laughed.

Wolansky said he is excited about the new Consortium building, set to open in winter 2020.

“These kids deserve it; the possibilities for them will be endless,” he said. “We’ll be able to do so much more with the kids.”

Wolansky lives in Milton with wife Carolann, the office manager at Lewes Historical Society, and children Christian, who attends Milton Elementary, and Sarah, who attends Mariner Middle. 

“I’m certified to teach elementary and middle school, and my kids wanted me to teach at their schools, but I really like it here,” he said. “They’ve got me as long as they want me.”