Citrus County board approves short-term SRO funding amendment, separates operational and financial agreements

The Citrus County School Board voted to approve a quarter‑four amendment to its 2024–25 SRO financial arrangement and separately adopted a 2025–26 SRO operational agreement with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, board members said at the June meeting.

Sheriff Mike Vincent told board members the quarter amendment covers the three months from July 1 to Sept. 30 and is an interim step while the parties align contract years so future SRO funding runs on the county fiscal cycle (Oct. 1–Sept. 30). Vincent said the short-term amendment reduces estimated costs for that quarter from about $803,000 last year to about $689,000 under the proposed amendment.

The operational agreement adopted by the board spells out duties, training and programs linked to the SRO role. The separate financial amendment clarifies the county’s and the school board’s monthly contributions for the quarter — figures Vincent and staff read into the record — and sets up a single annual financial contract to be presented later this year for the Oct. 1 fiscal cycle.

Why it matters: the split between an operational…