Dayton Public Schools safety office seeks bigger budget for training, cameras and staff; board presses for staffing clarity

Chief of Safety and Security (name not specified) told the Dayton City School District Board of Education on May 13 that the department’s fiscal 2026 budget request would add three full-time positions and increase non-payroll spending for camera maintenance, access control, the Navigate360 drill-tracking system and other safety tools.

The request reflects a net staffing increase from 62 to 65 full-time employees in the safety and security unit and a non-payroll increase of roughly $52,000 tied to contract services, Chief (name not specified) said. He described items in the “purchase services” line as district radios, camera maintenance, Navigate360 subscription fees, student ID maintenance, NASRO (National Association of School Resource Officers) training, fingerprinting and grant-writing services.

Why it matters: the department said the investments support prevention, response and vetting — aims the chief tied to smaller class disruptions and lower absenteeism if school safety is strengthened.

Board members focused questions on three topics: where payroll increases are coming from, how student ID cards will be used, and why the district is paying for firearms training for staff who do not carry weapons. Board member Lacey pressed the chief to confirm an apparent payroll increase and the source of the change; the chief said the district in recent years had paid some safety staff out of federal ESSER grant funding, and the general fund would cover a larger share next year, which makes the budgeted payroll line appear higher even though the head-count increase is three positions.

The chief described student ID cards as already used for attendance tracking and on buses, and said the printed card itself costs about $0.03. He said the district is exploring linking IDs to the lunch system.

On firearms training, the chief told the board the instruction is intended to teach recognition and how to render a weapon safe, not to arm civilian staff. He said the training also supports certifications that some staff carry, including portions of Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy (OPOTA) and private-security certifications; the district covers training costs for staff after hire.

The chief gave several numbers during the presentation: roughly 40 SROs (school resource officers) have completed NASRO training and nine additional staff need NASRO this year; four staff have full OPOTA certification, and the remainder carry private-security certification. He confirmed two school-court liaison positions are planned to remain vacant and that three newly created coordinator positions will be retained as part of a departmental restructure.

Board member Smith asked for clarification about which positions were new and whether liaison vacancies should be removed from the head-count if they will not be filled; the chief agreed the vacant positions “can be” deducted from the budget if they are not being filled. Smith and other board members also asked how many staff have full OPOTA certification; the chief said four have full OPOTA and many more hold private-security training.

On other items, the chief said the department had recently been approved for several grants and that Navigate360 is used to document drills, a requirement reported to the state. He also listed maintenance agreements, student ID supplies, staff uniforms required by union contract, and vendor fees such as fingerprinting through the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

The presentation drew follow-up direction but no formal board action on the safety budget at the May 13 meeting.

Ending: Board members asked staff to return with clarified line-item figures tied to which payroll costs are moving from grant to general funds and to confirm the final head count after removing positions the department will not fill. The chief said he is ready to answer additional questions and to provide further details on training plans and vacancies.