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Middletown City board approves SRO contract to fund four officers; one member dissents
Summary
The Middletown City Board of Education voted to approve a contract with the Middletown Police Department providing four school resource officers (SROs), a reduction from five, after extended debate about safety, costs and community perception. Board member Moore voted against the measure.
The Middletown City Board of Education voted to approve the school resource officer (SRO) contract that funds four SROs in district schools, reducing the number from five. The measure passed with recorded votes in which Board member Shiver, Dr. Urso and Board member Ramsey Hunter voted yes and Board member Moore voted no.
The change reflects the district's reconfiguration after Highview closed and sixth graders were reassigned to elementary buildings. The superintendent summarized the contract as “the same contract that we had in place last year, except for we're moving from 5 SROs to 4 SROs,” and noted new language that would allow the district to extend the contract for an additional year next year without running a full procurement process if finances permit and “everything is going as planned.” The district said city staff, the police chief and the SRO coordinator reviewed the draft and were “on the same page.”
Why it matters: SRO staffing touches school safety, local taxes and public perception. Board member Moore said the community expects visible investments in safety and urged caution in reducing officers during a district transition, arguing for maintaining five officers for at least one year so the district can “test the waters.” He said, “I would not be in support of this contract tonight,” and warned the cut would be perceived as reducing public safety.
Board discussion and staff responses The superintendent and district staff told the board the four-officer deployment would cover the district by stationing one SRO at the high school, one at the middle school and two officers who share three elementary buildings. The superintendent said principals, the lead SRO Marco Caddo, city managers and police leadership participated in three meetings and agreed that four SROs would provide district coverage: “All parties sitting at that table… agreed that the 4 would cover the district.”
Board members pressed for historical context. The superintendent said the district had three SROs before the pandemic, increased to six during the period of heightened national concern about school shootings, and had five last year. The board also heard that the district has added non-SRO security measures since 2019, including Raptor visitor management, additional cameras and badge access.
Several board members asked whether the district could add an SRO midyear if four proved insufficient. Staff said the Middletown Police Department had previously accommodated such requests when the district increased officers, and that additional officers could be requested if needed.
Vote and next steps A motion to approve the SRO contracts carried with the board’s majority; the record shows a no vote from Board member Moore. The contract includes an option to extend the agreement next year without repeating full compliance steps if finances and circumstances allow. Board members flagged the topic as likely to draw public attention and indicated they could revisit staffing levels if the district’s experience with four officers suggests a change is needed.
The meeting also highlighted SRO involvement in community programs such as Safety Town, a long-running program led by officers that the board said serves about 40 kindergarten-age students each week and draws participants from the wider area.
