Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clarke County School District to fund full School Resource Officer program for 2025–26, commission approves agreement
Summary
The commission approved a 2025–26 school resource officer (SRO) agreement between the Athens‑Clarke County Police Department and the Clarke County School District. The district will fund salaries and overtime for six officers — four in middle schools and two in high schools — at a total reported cost of $470,000.
The Athens‑Clarke County Mayor and Commission on July 15 approved a school resource officer agreement for fiscal year 2025–26 between the Athens‑Clarke County Police Department and the Clarke County School District. The motion to approve was moved by Commissioner Myers and seconded by Commissioner Link; the commission voted in favor with no recorded opposition.
Chief Salters of the Athens‑Clarke County Police Department appeared to explain changes in the contract and the funding arrangement. Chief Salters told the commission that the Clarke County School District — represented in the meeting by its director of community relations, Allison McCulloch, according to staff comments — agreed to cover the entirety of the program costs for the year. Chief Salters said the district would pay for overtime and salaries for six officers (four assigned to middle schools and two assigned to high schools), and he stated the total cost at $470,000. The district’s payments were described as quarterly transfers to the county after the county submits an invoice.
Commissioner Myers asked staff to clarify how this SRO agreement differed from a previous arrangement. Chief Salters said the agreement was rewritten to simplify billing and invoicing and to make clear the funding sources; he also confirmed staff would provide the commission with an opportunity to re‑evaluate the program before January 2026 so the commission would not be “last minute” when discussing next steps.
What happens next: the commission approved the agreement authorizing the SRO program with the Clarke County School District funding the full 2025–26 cost. Staff will continue to supply invoices quarterly and return to the commission before January 2026 for re‑evaluation and any policy discussion about continued funding or program changes.
Why this matters: The SRO program places sworn police officers in schools and involves public safety, school climate and budgetary considerations. The transcript indicates the school district has agreed to pay the program’s costs for the 2025–26 year, shifting the fiscal impact away from the county’s general fund for that period.
