Board approves SRO memorandum of understanding and introduces full SRO team
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Summary
The board approved a memorandum of understanding with the police department for full-school resource officer coverage, introduced multiple SROs and said the district’s share of costs fell by about $3,000 due to newer officers’ lower salaries.
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — The Siloam Springs School District board approved a memorandum of understanding with the local police department for full school-resource-officer coverage and heard introductions from the newly organized SRO team.
Sergeant Josh Fritz, newly promoted to sergeant of school resource operations, presented the SRO lineup and program history. Fritz said the district’s SRO program dates to the mid-1990s and that members regularly instruct at state training events and lead community programs such as police-and-fire camp and a NextGen explorer program for older students.
SRO team members introduced at the meeting included Officer Tyler Underwood (K‑9 Cyber handler), Officer Jonathan Harrington (Allen Elementary), Corporal Jeremy Brown (Southside), Officer Tyler McVey (intermediate school), Officer Dan Newton (high school) and Officer Francisco Rico Bonilla (middle school). Fritz said several newer officers had been added in recent weeks and are already connecting with students.
Cost and MOU: District staff said the MOU terms are unchanged from prior years except for updated salary-based cost sharing tied to the currently assigned officers; the district’s share decreased by roughly $3,000 this year because several officers are newer and have lower salaries. A board vote approved the MOU.
Why it matters: Board members praised the partnership with the police department and described the SROs’ roles as protectors, mentors and teachers. Trustees said the district is “privileged” to have the level of SRO coverage it currently enjoys compared with some other districts.
Next steps: The SRO team will continue school‑based programs and safety trainings; the MOU will govern coverage and cost sharing for the coming year.
