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Tolland to post full-time school resource officer; town says police-budget savings will cover near-term cost
Summary
Town staff said an administrative trooper is rotating in Tolland schools while the town posts a permanent SRO position. Council learned staff expects existing police payroll savings to cover the near-term cost until a permanent hire is in place.
Tolland officials told the Town Council Oct. 14 they will post a full-time school resource officer position and that an administrative state trooper has been temporarily assigned to patrol the schools while the town completes recruitment.
Town Manager Brian (last name not specified in transcript) said the administrative trooper was pulled from general patrol and placed in schools on a rotating basis and is scheduled to remain in that role through about Nov. 15 while staff posts a permanent SRO. "We pulled our administrative trooper off of general patrol in town, and put him into our schools, rotating around at the direction of Dr. Willett," Brian said during the meeting.
Staff said the SRO position was not included in the prior years budget but that recent staffing changes produced payroll savings in the Connecticut State Police line included in the town budget. Those savings, staff said, provide funding to cover the near-term cost of hiring a town-employed SRO while the town and the Board of Education determine a long-term funding arrangement.
Officials said they expect to advertise a full-time SRO with benefits, and they are meeting with human resources to finalize a job description and salary. Town staff estimated a likely hourly salary range for a new SRO at about $30$33 per hour; roughly $68,000 per year was cited as an approximate full-time equivalent when extrapolated to a 40-hour week and 52 weeks, though final figures will depend on benefit costs and the exact salary step.
Board of Education leadership and town staff said they will coordinate on posting, recruitment and onboarding. Because the administrative trooper remains on duty, staff said there is no immediate reduction in overall patrol coverage that would materially affect town safety statistics.
Next steps: town and school staff will finalize a job posting, meet with HR, and aim to fill the position with a permanent SRO before the troopers temporary assignment ends. Councilors asked that town staff monitor the budget impact and return to council if supplemental appropriations are needed.
