Community, district debate role of school resource officers as LCAP funding is revised

Dozens of parents and community members urged the Greenfield Union School District Board of Trustees on Monday to prioritize counselors, bilingual and culturally responsive programs, and after-school activities over funding for school resource officers.

The comments came during public comment before a staff presentation and a briefing by Greenfield police officers about the purpose of SROs. "Our mission is to ensure that every family in this school district has the same opportunities as I did," said Benito Sanchez, founder of translation service Nerdly, describing the expansion of interpretation services across district sites.

Why it matters: Speakers said mental health and bilingual supports directly affect attendance and learning; police and district leaders said SROs are part of a broader system of supports and that the district’s LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) revisions reflect community input while maintaining school safety staff.

Board members and the superintendent responded to public concerns. Superintendent Cortez told the room the district would not "perpetrate the school to prison pipeline" and said district SROs are intended to support students, not criminalize them. Director Vasquez, presenting proposed LCAP revisions, said district surveys found broad support for both social-emotional staff and school safety personnel: "98% felt that we should provide staff, to support our students with the social, emotional, and academic learning needs," and "97% felt we should provide school safety personnel."

Greenfield police officers described the SRO role as multi‑faceted. Officer Rangel said officers work on de‑escalation, relationship building and referrals to community services and diversion programs, and that officers do not handle school discipline such as suspensions or expulsions. "Our goal is to address social emotional needs," he said during a district briefing that outlined how an onsite SRO can enable a coordinated, multidisciplinary response when students face crises.

District staff said the LCAP revisions clarify how supports are funded. Vasquez said the district will no longer pay SROs from the supplemental and concentration funds but will retain funding through unrestricted funds so the positions remain districtwide. The presentation also summarized stakeholder outreach: more than 1,500 students and roughly 2,800 families responded to district surveys, and data points cited by staff included that 83% of surveyed students reported feeling safe at school and 91% said schools welcomed families.

What remained unresolved: Several public speakers, and one trustee during discussion, criticized specific incidents they said involved SROs; board members cautioned that some remarks in public comment were unverified. President Jaime interrupted one public speaker to say the board would stop statements that were "not accurate or verified." The board directed staff to continue outreach and to return with final LCAP documents for approval in September.

The district also highlighted non‑police alternatives in place or expanding at sites: two counselors at each elementary school, additional social workers, parent liaisons and expanded interpretation services through Nerdly. Community groups and speakers asked the board to increase investments in culturally relevant curriculum, after‑school enrichment and mental‑health staffing instead of expanding law‑enforcement presence.

Looking ahead: Director Vasquez said the LCAP with the proposed adjustments will return to the board in September for final approval; the district said it will continue presenting stakeholder data and will provide more details about mental‑health staffing and site services at future meetings.