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 memorandum and a separate financial contract is meant to make the SRO program more transparent across the three entities that fund it — the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Board of County Commissioners and the school board — and to lock the county’s contribution into the sheriff’s general fund budget going forward.

Discussion and details

Sheriff Vincent told the board he asked county leaders to restore the school‑safety line item to the sheriff’s general fund so future budget increases for the sheriff’s office would automatically include the SRO program and stabilize funding. “For me…getting that line item back into my budget really secures the future for this program,” Vincent said during his remarks.

Vincent and staff read a proposed breakdown for the short quarter: a combined monthly payment of about $229,923.34, described in the amendment as comprised of a Board of County Commissioners contribution of $117,740.86 and a Citrus County School Board contribution of $112,182.48. The sheriff said he expects additional financial documentation for the fiscal‑year contract in September.

Board members questioned coverage gaps when deputies are absent. Superintendent Scott Hebert and Sheriff Vincent discussed using the district’s guardian program as elementary‑level backfill for vacancies so SROs can prioritize secondary campuses. Vincent said a deputy’s fully loaded annual cost is roughly $135,000 while a guardian position with benefits is about $48,000, and described the guardian option as a pragmatic way to stretch staffing and reduce the number of school hours currently covered by supervisors or other deputies.

The board also asked for data on past absences; Chief Montgomery (not in attendance) provided an estimate later in the meeting that about 1,700 SRO hours were covered by sergeants, court officers and bailiffs during the 2023–24 school year.

Formal action

The board approved the operational agreement and the modified quarter‑four financial amendment at the meeting. The motion language on the short‑term financial amendment was amended during discussion to explicitly state each party’s contribution; board members voted in favor of the revised amendment and the operational agreement.

What remains

Sheriff Vincent said the one‑time quarter amendment is a temporary measure; the sheriff’s office will present a full October‑to‑September financial contract for SRO operations in the coming months. Vincent also signaled a priority to expand the guardian program if the county and school district choose to direct some of the program savings into additional guardian positions that could provide more consistent elementary coverage.

Quotes

"For me, getting that line item back into my budget really secures the future for this program," Sheriff Mike Vincent said.

"We all know the importance of that stable person at a school that's there every day," Superintendent Scott Hebert said as the board discussed coverage and continuity.

Ending

Board members said they were encouraged by the revised funding language and the prospect of a longer‑term financial agreement in September. The operational agreement will remain in effect unless state or local mandates require changes, while the fiscal contract will return to the board for approval on an Oct. 1–Sept. 30 basis.