Franklin County approves limited school‑resource agreement with Tuscarora amid insurance questions

The Franklin County Commissioners on March 5 approved a limited agreement with Tuscarora School District that lets the county’s sheriff’s office be reimbursed for directed patrols and occasional school security work through the remainder of the 2024–25 school year.

The agreement, as described during the meeting by Sheriff Ben Sites, sets out two distinct pieces: a mechanism to reimburse deputies when the school district requests them for events or supplemental coverage, and a “directed patrol” reimbursement for routine presence in school zones. "It is covered 100% for the first year with a very small carrying cost for licensing each year after that," Sheriff Ben Sites said of a separate grant‑funded purchase discussed earlier; speaking about the SRO agreement he said the district "would have to provide the training to our staff" before the county can supply fully certified school resource officers.

The board debated how the contract would operate in practice and whether county insurance would cover deputies performing duties in schools.…