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School committee approves $15,000 settlement and schedule change for SRO comfort-dog program after federal wage concern
Summary
The committee approved a settlement addressing past Fair Labor Standards Act liability tied to a school resource officer’s comfort dog; the agreement includes a $15,000 payout (to be budgeted for FY26) and a future work‑hour adjustment instead of ongoing pay for handling.
The School Committee on March 27 approved a settlement to resolve potential Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) liability related to a school resource officer’s privately owned comfort dog that works with students.
Superintendent explained that Officer Wilson acquired the dog, Sora, in October 2022 and that federal wage rules raised retroactive liability for the officer’s unpaid time spent handling the dog. The district and town negotiated a settlement that reduces potential retroactive exposure and sets a future compensation mechanism: a one‑time agreed payment of $15,000 (to be paid in FY26) and, going forward, a daily schedule adjustment that shortens the officer’s workday by 30 minutes (from eight to 7.5 hours) to account for handler responsibilities. The superintendent said the $15,000 payout is less than an upper estimate of roughly $30,000 in potential liability.
The superintendent also described operational details: Officer Wilson responds to regional calls with other comfort‑dog handlers through NEMLAC and the dog accompanies him to some out‑of‑district events when requested. The superintendent said the district is preparing a written program description and that the district had not sought town funding for the program before establishing it; she said she was working on identifying a funding source for the settlement and ongoing program costs. Payment is scheduled to be processed July 1 and accounted for in FY26 budgets.
Committee members pressed for clarity on the program’s scope and public communication. Several members asked for a formal program mission statement and written guidance on when dogs are deployed, who covers travel costs and how calls from outside communities are handled. Trustees also questioned whether the town’s general government would share in the expense; the superintendent said she would pursue available funding and noted the town’s general government preferred that school budget cover the agreement.
The committee voted 3–2 to approve the SRO canine agreement. The superintendent recorded the yes votes as Karen, herself (the superintendent) and Suzanne; Amy and John voted no. Members in opposition said they wanted a clearer funding plan before approving payout. The district said it will provide a follow‑up on funding sources before the settlement is paid.
