Board approves sheriff support agreement; asks administration to build evaluation framework

The Teton School District Board approved a non-financial support agreement with the Teton County sheriff’s office to clarify roles and liability for law-enforcement presence at district schools and asked administration to develop an evaluation framework for future discussions about a paid School Resource Officer (SRO) position.

Board members said the sheriff’s department had provided coverage during the prior school year without a formal reimbursement agreement. The draft presented at the meeting was described as the SRO agreement used two years prior but with the cost and timing language removed; the purpose was to document what the sheriff’s office would provide when personnel were available.

Board members and district legal counsel reviewed clauses addressing independent-contractor status and mutual hold-harmless language. The agreement states the sheriff’s personnel are not district employees and that each party is responsible for its own acts — language district counsel characterized as a mutual indemnity/hold-harmless approach.

Board members asked administration to work with the sheriff’s office to collect usage data and to create a rubric for evaluating SRO services if the district later considers paying for a dedicated officer. Suggestions for evaluation metrics included counts of incidents where an on-site deputy shortened response time, number and type of interactions, patrol/prevention activities, and qualitative feedback from administrators.

The board approved the agreement as presented with a caveat that administration and the sheriff develop an evaluation process during the coming year and report back to the board for consideration if the district contemplates a funded SRO position.