Luna County law enforcement officials told the Deming Public Schools Board Feb. 20 they cannot continue to dedicate a school resource officer under the existing contract because of severe staffing shortages, and asked the district to approve an early termination of the MOU.

Deputy Superintendent of Operations Mr. Parker introduced the agenda item and said he had received the county’s request. The sheriff addressed the board and said the county’s patrol division is critically short-staffed: the office currently employs nine certified deputies and three uncertified deputies and, as presented to the board, is roughly 12 deputies short in its patrol division. The sheriff said two deputies had already accepted positions with neighboring agencies and another deputy was expected to leave in March.

The sheriff stated the county would reassign the SRO to patrol in emergency situations and said the county could not guarantee a dedicated SRO under the contract until staffing improved. He said the county would try to maintain a law-enforcement presence at some schools by assigning available deputies when possible.

Board members asked questions about the contract’s terms and whether manpower shortages were a recognized reason for contract termination. One board member requested clarification from the district’s attorneys about contract language: the contract includes clauses for budget-related withdrawal but the transcript’s presenter said it did not explicitly identify manpower shortages as a permitted ground for termination.

After discussion the board voted to table the matter and request review from the district’s legal counsel to clarify contract obligations and permitted termination triggers. The board’s roll call vote authorized legal review and postponed any final action on the MOU until counsel reports back to the board. Several board members and a county commissioner said they were actively pursuing pay adjustments and recruitment efforts to reduce turnover and restore staffing levels.

The sheriff described efforts to cover gaps, including securing New Mexico State Police coverage for the overnight shift. The county and board discussed potential interim arrangements such as deputizing available city officers for school duties; the sheriff said safety of children was paramount and that decisions would be driven by operational needs.

No final change to the SRO agreement was made at the meeting; the board’s action was limited to referring the request to legal counsel and tabling the item for further consideration.