North Shore board renews Bothell High School SRO agreement after student and community testimony

The North Shore School District Board of Directors voted to approve an amendment to its interlocal agreement with the City of Bothell to provide school resource officer (SRO) services to Bothell High School for the 2025–26 school year.

Students and community members urged the board to retain the SRO during public comment. “Do not be cheap and risk the lives of innocent children. Keep Officer Ware at Bothell High School,” said Linda McAndrews, a senior at Bothell High School. Isha Tumala, a Bothell High sophomore, said, “Officer Ware provides that sense of security every day” and described him as a mentor who also visits classrooms to support learning.

Why it matters: the board’s annual review is required by state law and is the district’s formal opportunity to reconsider SRO arrangements, oversight and reporting. The board considered a staff report and the program review memo submitted with the interlocal agreement amendment before voting.

Board discussion reviewed three central themes: the program’s community support, possible gaps in on-campus coverage when an SRO responds to off-campus duties, and the limits of the review data. John Messner, speaking for Bothell High School, said the school’s surveys show “overwhelming support for our SRO program” and noted the cost of the current program is shared by the district and the City of Bothell. Director Jacqueline McGourty highlighted the limits of the survey evidence, saying about 212 students responded and describing that as roughly 10–12% of the student body.

Superintendent Michael Tully presented the amendment and the accompanying program review and staff recommendation asking the board to authorize SRO services for the coming school year. Board members referenced the North Shore student wellness and safety task force’s parameters and state law changes from 2021 that require annual board review of SRO interlocal agreements.

The board discussed alternatives that the district has used at other comprehensive high schools: where an SRO is assigned the campus is staffed with one SRO and one campus supervisor; in campuses without an SRO, the district staffs two campus supervisors. Directors raised the operational tradeoffs between a campus supervisor who remains on campus all day and an SRO whose community duties sometimes require leaving campus.

After discussion the board approved the amendment to the interlocal agreement, allowing Bothell High School to continue to receive SRO services for the 2025–26 school year.

The board’s approval follows the district’s annual reporting and program review process required by state law; the board did not adopt any policy changes or new contract terms beyond authorizing the amendment.