Mentor schools approve memorandum with city to hire retired officers as full‑time school safety officers

The Mentor Exempted Village Board of Education on Feb. 11 approved a memorandum of understanding with the City of Mentor to place uniformed School Safety Officers in district buildings and amended the contract language to specify the positions as full time.

The board’s action came after Superintendent Craig Heath presented a contract and an implementation timeline. “We plan on posting the first 2 positions 1 for Memorial and 1 for Shore in early March with the hope of bringing the first 2 SSO's on board right after spring break,” Superintendent Craig Heath said. He described the hiring as phased: two officers after spring break, two more in August 2025, two additional in August 2026 and a final two in August 2027, with retired officers or law‑enforcement DROP participants targeted for the roles.

The MOU, as approved by the board, emphasizes partnership with the City of Mentor. Board President Maggie Cook called the initiative a long‑sought goal and thanked city leaders for working with the district. Board member Annie Payne, who has advocated for retired‑officer staffing, said she supported the approach and added, “I think this is such a wonderful thing that we're doing.”

Why it matters: the agreement establishes how Mentor will staff and manage SSOs, clarifies they will be retired officers (so as not to draw from active city police staffing), and sets a multi‑year rollout to cover all elementary buildings. The board amended the contract and related resolution to change references that originally read “part‑time” to “full‑time” in the opening whereas clauses so the positions are consistently described as full time.

What the board decided and next steps: the board voted to approve the MOU and the related contract language by a 5‑0 roll call. The superintendent said the contract still goes to the City of Mentor Council for its approval; the district’s vote was a board‑level approval subject to final action by the city. Heath said the district will continue to partner with the Mentor Police Department for off‑duty coverage during certain hours while SSOs are phased in.

Details and context: the contract targets retired officers or those in DROP (deferred retirement) to avoid reducing active police staffing. The first two positions are to be posted in early March; the superintendent said principals and administrators will be involved in implementation plans and communications to families. Board members noted the move has been under discussion for several years and described it as a compromise to avoid pulling active officers from city patrol duties.

Board action (formal): the board approved the resolution adopting the MOU and approved related contract language (vote: 5 yes, 0 no). The superintendent and administration will post positions and begin hiring per the timeline described.

Ending: The board’s approval starts a multi‑year staffing plan that must be matched by city council action; the district intends to communicate details and rollout plans to families in the coming weeks.