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School districts to cover increasing share of School Resource Deputy costs; county outlines stepped benefit contributions
Summary
Sheriff's office presented updated school resource deputy (SRD) contract terms: districts now pay full step‑5 salary ($51,526), specialty pay ($3,375) and a third of benefits ($15,813) this year, rising to half of benefits next year; total per‑deputy cost billed to districts is $70,714.
Undersheriff Kevin Richard and sheriff’s office staff briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 12 about the annual school resource deputy (SRD) contracts for the 2025‑26 school year.
Undersheriff Richard told the board that districts will cover the full step‑5 salary for a deputy — $51,526 — plus specialty SRD pay of $3,375. This year districts will also cover roughly one‑third of the deputy’s benefits ($15,813); the contract phases up to a 50% district share of benefits in the coming year. The sheriff’s office said the total cost a district pays for a single SRD this year, including salary, specialty pay and a share of benefits, amounts to $70,714. For districts that contract for two deputies, the cost doubles ($141,427), staff said.
Richard emphasized that SRDs are county employees and can be called away to respond to countywide emergencies; summer assignments typically place SRDs on patrol rather than in schools. He also said that the county has structured the cost increase as a multi‑year tiered approach so districts could budget for benefit coverage increases rather than face a single large cost jump.
Commissioners asked whether the total cost to counties is increasing; Richard confirmed that overall FTE costs are rising due to pay raises and benefit increases. He said the county began a multi‑year effort to shift some SRD costs to districts and noted the program’s community benefits, including relationship building and reduced school‑based incidents.
Action taken: briefing only; staff said SRD contracts had been issued and many districts have signed them. The sheriff’s office will include the contract renewals on appropriate consent agendas for formal acceptance as required.
