LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fayette County Public Schools is celebrating a resource officer’s big return to school after a crash nearly claimed his life. 

School resource officer Anthony Daulton was welcomed back to Eastside Technical Center Thursday with fist bumps and heartfelt greets. He’s been gone for almost a year after being involved in a serious car crash.

It’s taken months to get back to the school. Daulton has had multiple surgeries and undergone extensive recovery.

He said, “My plans since October have been to get back here, to greet these students as they come in, and to be here.”

Principal Tracy Parks said Daulton is a critical part of their everyday experience. 

She said, “He’s a core component of the faculty and staff here.” Parks continued, “You know, he’s a member of our family. And so our lunches and our staff meetings and our gatherings, those things have been a little less this year because he hasn’t been present for them.”

It’s why the community, staff here and throughout FCPS offered their paid time off, donations and more to support him.

Fayette County Police Officers Eric Skaggs and Anthony Daulton celebrate Daulton's return after a life-threatening crash last year. (Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf)

Assistant principal Lisa Rudzinski said they wanted to help the man they say changes lives at the school every day. 

“He is a father figure to a lot of them. He is a reminder of safety, a visual reminder of safety in the school building. And he is just a good guy,” she said. 

Daulton said outside of his morning routine he helps with EMS classes and more. 

“I enjoy being there for them. Some of the students, you know, that’s all we have all year is the ‘Hey, good morning. Have a good day.’ and then there are other students that come to my office and I try to keep snacks in there and keep things in there for them,” Daulton said. 

He says he enjoys the work he does.

“And as of right now, that’s my long-term plan to finish my career out here,” he said.