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Mentor, school district near agreement on SRO program; city to hire officers as part‑time employees
Summary
City and Mentor City School District officials told the Mentor City Council on June 3 that they are finalizing a revised school resource officer agreement that would make SROs part‑time city employees reimbursed by the district.
Mentor City officials told council on June 3 that they are near completion of a revised school resource officer (SRO) agreement with the Mentor City School District that will make SROs part‑time city employees and require the school district to reimburse the city for the costs.
Joe Zeman, the city’s law director, said earlier proposals that would have made officers school employees under a different model raised compliance concerns with the Ohio Revised Code. As a result, the parties revised the approach: SROs will be part‑time city employees rehired, in many cases, from recently retired Mentor police officers. The draft agreement was described as incorporating terms for how SROs will function and limitations on duties; school officials and city staff have worked on the language since February.
City Manager Ken Filipiak said the revised agreement “functions pretty much identically to how the full‑time officer performs right now in the high school” but uses a different employment model. Chief of Police described the city‑school cooperation as extensive and said both sides want officers in more buildings than currently covered by the program.
Residents and local advocates urged council to move quickly so officers could be trained and equipped before the start of the school year in August; supporters cited a 40‑hour training expectation. Dave Lima, representing a school‑safety advocacy group, said a school board special meeting is planned for June 27 and urged council to sign the agreement without further delay. City staff said they would send the revised draft to the district and hoped the district would act in time for officers to be in place by the new school year, but noted final timing depends on the district’s review and candidate availability.
No formal council vote was taken at the June 3 meeting; staff said they would transmit the draft agreement to the school board and work to finalize details as quickly as possible.
