Board hears plan to hire retired law-enforcement officers as school security officers to fill SRO gaps; cost and governance questions raised

School administrators and local law-enforcement leaders presented a plan to Montgomery County Public Schools on Jan. 21 to hire retired law-enforcement officers as district-employed school security officers (SSOs) to fill vacancies and augment sworn school resource officers (SROs).

Deputy chiefs and the sheriff’s office explained the difference between SROs — sworn law-enforcement officers with arrest authority employed by town or county agencies — and SSOs, who would be district employees without arrest powers unless otherwise deputized. A 2023 change in Virginia law allows certain retired officers to return to school employment and draw retirement while working; the presenters said that option is attractive to retirees because it makes full-time employment possible without losing retirement benefits.

Officials said the program was presented in the administration’s proposed budget for four SSOs at an estimated total cost of about $280,000 (personnel and associated expenses). Chiefs and the sheriff emphasized they intend SSOs to augment, not replace, SROs and described the recruiting appeal of experienced, recently retired officers. They described training requirements: SSOs must meet Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) standards for school security officers and qualify annually for firearms if armed. Local chiefs offered to help with firearms qualification and training and said they would support storage or short-term custody of firearms if a position became vacant.

Board members pressed on operational and fiscal questions: where SSOs would be authorized to carry firearms (the board must specifically authorize firearms in district buildings), how firearms and equipment would be stored and transferred, who would select and hire SSOs, and how costs would be shared with towns and the county. Some board members expressed concern about the long-term fiscal impact if the district hired many SSOs (one board member warned that 20 SSOs could approach $1.5 million in recurring cost once salaries, benefits and equipment are included) and asked administration to consult the county Board of Supervisors and towns about cost-sharing.

Law-enforcement presenters said that SSOs would undergo the same firearms qualification and annual in-service DCJS training the agencies require. They suggested retired officers would often bring 20–25 years of experience and situational skills that the district otherwise would pay more to recruit. The sheriff and chiefs said they would help vet candidates and support background checks, and they identified restorative roles for SSOs in relationship-building with students in smaller or understaffed buildings.

Board members asked administration to return with written policies that specify SSO duties, limits of authority (including reporting and investigation roles), hiring processes, storage and qualification procedures for firearms, and a recommended cost-sharing approach with other local governments before any positions are funded. Administration said they would draft details and consult legal counsel and local agencies and present recommended policy language and budget impacts for board review.