Oconee County boards approve memorandum to place school resource officers in all 12 schools

Oconee County commissioners and the Oconee County Board of Education on Jan. 29 approved a memorandum of understanding that creates a school resource officer (SRO) program assigning deputies to all 12 county schools and authorizes the budget changes needed to begin staffing the program.

The agreement, approved unanimously by both governing bodies, establishes a SRO unit composed of up to 16 deputies — 12 assigned to individual schools plus four supervisory/command staff — and runs through Feb. 2026 with automatic annual renewals unless one party gives 30 days’ written notice. Sheriff Hale said he could begin recruiting immediately after the vote but cautioned that recruiting law-enforcement personnel will take time.

Why it matters: The MOU formalizes roles, duties and a cost-sharing arrangement meant to place consistent law-enforcement presence in each school while protecting the schools’ educational mission. The Board of Education will cover 90% of program costs and the Board of Commissioners 10%, under the terms presented to both bodies.

The agreement defines operational and policy elements across multiple sections. According to the presentation, deputies assigned as SROs will not be routinely reassigned to general law-enforcement calls during the school day; they also will perform up to 25 days per year on county assignments when schools are not in session. The document contains a list of 11 selection criteria for SROs and 21 duties meant to balance law-enforcement responsibilities with supporting school staff and students.

"My job as the sheriff is to secure this county," Sheriff Hale told the joint meeting, describing the program as part of a long-running collaboration between the sheriff’s office and the school district. He said the additional command staff and backup positions are intended to ensure continuity when deputies are out for illness, leave or to provide training and supervision.

School district presenter Mr. Cofer said the Board of Commissioners will provide an initial estimate of full program cost to the Board of Education by April 1 and a final cost by May 1 to align with the school system’s budget process. Cofer gave two cost estimates presented at the meeting: an estimated cost through June 2025 of up to $1,391,282 assuming full staffing, with the Board of Education’s share at $1,252,153; and an estimated full fiscal-year 2026 cost of $2,482,563 with the Board of Education’s share at $2,234,307, again assuming a fully staffed 16-person SRO program.

Board members and members of the public voiced support for moving quickly while also raising questions about the funding split and operational details. A board member who spoke at the meeting said, "I'm not in love with the funding structure for this" and urged future discussion of a larger school-district contribution; that speaker also said they supported approving the plan now to get deputies into schools. Public commenter Stephen Elshara asked how long-term assignments to a single school might affect familiarity and "complacency" and how SROs would handle enforcement of on-campus misconduct. Parent Angela Martin, who had discussed SRO programs with counterparts in other Georgia districts, said she was pleased to hear the jobs would be posted immediately and called safety "our number one priority."

Officials repeatedly emphasized the program’s preventative focus, including behavioral-threat assessment and coordination with school counselors and administrators to identify at-risk students and provide interventions before incidents occur.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the SRO memorandum of understanding between the Oconee County Sheriff, the Oconee County Board of Commissioners and the Oconee County School District and to approve all necessary budget amendments: approved by the Board of Commissioners (mover and seconder not specified in the transcript; outcome recorded as approved). The Board of Education approved the MOU separately by a recorded vote of 5-0.

Next steps and timeline: Sheriff Hale may begin recruiting immediately; the county will provide an initial cost estimate by April 1 and a final cost by May 1 to the school board. The agreement’s first term runs through Feb. 2026 and renews annually unless a party provides the required notice.