Residents, school leaders and police debate $100,000 school resource officer in RSU 06 budget

A proposed $100,000 line item to add a school resource officer to the RSU 06 budget prompted a heated discussion at the district’s budget workshop, with parents, residents, school administrators and police offering contrasting views on whether an armed officer is the right use of limited funds.

Public commenters pressed the board to prioritize school-based mental-health staff over an SRO. “I have no issues with our officers, but my 9 year old does not need an armed police officer in her school,” said Jess, a parent who described gaps in on-campus counseling and social-work capacity. Ashley Coonsai, who identified herself as a Hollis resident, urged the board to weigh research that she said shows SROs can increase arrests and disciplinary outcomes for students and noted the supplemental packet appeared to fund a half‑time social worker while proposing a more costly SRO. “The issue here is mental health,” Coonsai said. “A school resource officer is not that person that can help with that concern.”

School leaders and the Buxton Police Department defended the proposal as a response to operational needs and staffing pressures. Chief Kevin Collins said the district’s current SRO is “very, very busy” and that Cumberland County had flagged the level of calls his deputy responds to; the chief said a dedicated officer “provides security to the students and staff at the schools” and allows the department to build rapport with students and staff. The chief said officers can often de‑escalate situations, and that having a full‑time SRO reduces reliance on mutual aid when other officers are committed elsewhere.

District staff presented local incident data and national research context. A staff member identified as Lori summarized district findings: the district’s arrest and summons rate is low compared with national figures and Maine’s rates; last year Cumberland County deputies recorded roughly 355 responses at the high school and 43 at the middle school, but only four arrests at the high school and eight at the middle school. Lori said Maine’s commissioned 2019 study on school‑based policing was “inconclusive” and that much of the national literature is mixed, with some studies showing higher rates of disorderly‑conduct charges in schools that have SROs and other studies highlighting community‑policing benefits.

Board members asked for more detail on governance, training and oversight for any SRO deployment. Questions included whether the position would be a Buxton police officer paid by the school, how after‑hours duty would be handled, and what formal oversight would look like. Chief Collins said the expectation in the current proposal is that the school would fund the officer nine months of the year and the town three months; during school breaks the officer would support Buxton patrol duties. On oversight, district staff said the arrangement would be collaborative and include supervising officers, school principals and the superintendent in oversight roles.

Speakers urged alternatives and clearer evidence. Commenters and several board members asked the administration to quantify what would be lost if the position were not funded, whether additional social‑work hires could be prioritized, and whether non‑armed alternatives (training, traffic control by non‑police staff, de‑escalation training for staff) could address some operational needs. The board did not take a final vote on the SRO line at the workshop and directed staff to return with more information on costs, options and oversight.

The discussion placed the proposed SRO alongside other supplemental budget requests; board members emphasized they must weigh the district’s limited fund balance and long‑term tax impacts when deciding whether to add recurring personnel costs.

Ending — Next steps Board members asked staff to return with additional detail on the SRO proposal’s cost allocation, expected duties and governance arrangements, and to compare that option with additional social‑work and preventive supports. The item remained under consideration; no formal action was recorded at the meeting.