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Parents and teachers press for school resource officer at Runlet; budget presentation lists contracted SRO cost
Summary
Several public commenters, including a Runlet teacher and a resident with a family member experienced in an active-shooter response, urged the board to fund a school resource officer at Runlet Middle School; district staff noted a proposed contracted SRO at approximately $101,006.54.
Speakers at the Concord School District public hearing urged the board to fund a school resource officer (SRO) for Runlet Middle School, while district staff noted an SRO contract cost in the proposed budget.
The district’s budget presenter noted a proposal for a contracted school resource officer at Runlet, stating the cost to be $101,006.54 paid to the city. Board materials and the presenter tied the proposed SRO to the overall staffing and contract-line items in the budget.
Multiple public commenters advocated for the SRO position during the hearing. Linda O’Rourke, a teacher at Runlet Middle School for 26 years, described the SRO as “a resource” who can build relationships and de-escalate incidents. She recounted a recent domestic incident in which a Concord police officer who was a former student of hers helped calm a situation by making a personal connection, and she said regular positive interactions with an SRO could help students see officers as supportive adults. “Some of the positives included giving students someone to seek out for help, keeping the school safe, preventing vaping, and providing a positive role model,” O’Rourke said.
Deborah Samaha, a resident who previously wrote to the board about the budget, also testified in favor of an SRO. She described a school shooting in Barrow County, Georgia, at which an SRO was immediately on scene and secured the suspect’s surrender, and said the roles of SROs and social workers are complementary: “One does not replace the other,” she said, and she called the SRO a preventative measure whose training includes de-escalation and trauma-informed care.
The comments did not result in a formal decision or vote during the hearing. Board members noted the district is short-staffed across the police department and that the budget will be discussed further in upcoming deliberations; any final decision on the SRO funding and contracting would be made in those deliberations or via a future formal action.
Why it matters: An SRO would be a recurring budget item funded through the general fund or a contract with the city. Commenters framed the position as both a safety and relationship-building resource; the board must weigh that role alongside cost, staff availability in the police department and community concerns.
