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Sheriff’s office and school board expand SRO program; agreement to fund new positions advances
Summary
The board approved an MOU with the Liberty County Board of Education to expand school resource officers (SROs) from seven toward 16 sworn positions, with the school board funding salary, vehicles and equipment; the sheriff outlined staffing, academy and field‑training timelines.
The Liberty County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 approved a memorandum of understanding between the sheriff’s office and the Liberty County Board of Education to expand the School Resource Officer program and formalize a financial arrangement under which the school board will fund officers assigned to campuses.
The MOU matters to parents, schools and local law enforcement because it increases sworn presence at schools, formalizes vehicle and equipment responsibilities and establishes how costs and administrative details are handled between the two governments.
Sheriff’s Office representative Chief Hagan explained the MOU covers the 2025‑26 school year and that the school board will fund officers, vehicles and equipment; the board described an initial plan to grow staffing from the current complement (seven SROs and supervisory coverage) to as many as 16 positions, including a lieutenant and a sergeant plus line officers assigned to high schools, middle schools and rotating coverage at elementary schools until full staffing is achieved.
Hagan told the board that recruiting and certification timelines are a limiting factor: officers must complete a state academy (12–20 weeks depending on schedule) and a multi‑month field‑training officer (FTO) program before independent assignment. To avoid losing recruits while they train, the sheriff’s office will hire officers onto the payroll and place them into training; once eligible, officers will be assigned to schools. Vehicles purchased by the school board will be used for SRO duty and maintained under the sheriff’s repair arrangements. Hagan said the sheriff will ensure SROs receive the specialized school‑safety training required for the role.
Commissioners asked about benefits, retirement and summer scheduling. Hagan said SROs will be sheriff’s office employees (retirement/benefits remain with the sheriff’s office) while the school board will pay related costs under the MOU; the board and sheriff’s office will coordinate details and any necessary budget amendments. The MOU includes a termination/renewal framework and procedures to maintain coverage during vacancies; supervisors and trained officers will provide fill‑in coverage when needed.
Board members praised the program as an investment in student safety and approved the MOU on a motion and second; staff said the school board will invoice the county for the contracted amounts and the sheriff will provide budget detail to the commission for any needed amendments.
