Saint Louis Park board approves SRO contract with June 2026 review; 5-1 vote

The Saint Louis Park School Board on Sept. 30 approved a contract with the City of Saint Louis Park to place School Resource Officers (SROs) in district schools and added an amendment requiring the contract to expire on June 30, 2026, unless earlier terminated. The final approval passed by a 5-1 vote after an earlier procedural amendment setting the end date was adopted unanimously, 6-0.

Board members debated the contract for more than an hour, focusing on three areas: how and when SROs engage in student disciplinary situations, limits on use of force (including prone restraints), and protections for student data privacy. Superintendent Dr. Hines presented the contract language, saying the document “talks about the use of prone restraints … focusing on de-escalation techniques” and noting that a clause addressing use-of-force language was added to meet statutory minimums.

Why it matters: Board members said they need clearer evidence that an on-site SRO program will improve student safety without…