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Trustees approve freeze on four unfilled school police posts; police leaders say coverage maintained
Summary
Trustees voted 7–0 to freeze four unfilled Washoe County School District police officer positions to reduce costs; interim police leadership described how patrols and campus supervisors would be reallocated to maintain coverage.
The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously June 10 to place four unfilled school police officer positions on freeze as part of a package of budget‑adjustment measures.
“I move” — a motion to freeze the four unfilled positions was made and carried on a voice vote, with the board recording the motion as 7‑0 in favor.
Deputy Chief Shawna Baker, who led the school police presentation, told trustees the department has increased staffing over recent years and described how patrol beats, dedicated campus officers and rovers would be adjusted if the freeze was implemented. Baker said every high school currently has a dedicated campus officer and that middle‑school coverage is configured by proximity and call volume; she said some patrol officers would be shared between a high school and a nearby middle school to preserve response times if the four vacancies were held.
Trustees asked about campus supervisors’ training and role. Baker said campus supervisors are intended to provide “an additional layer of safety” and relationship‑building on campuses; they are administrative staff with radios who call school police when police intervention is required. Several trustees and the superintendent praised the expansion of campus supervisors and the district’s investment in school safety, saying the department is at its largest staffing level in district history.
Why it matters: the freeze reduces near‑term salary costs and was part of a broader set of budget actions staff proposed to narrow the FY26 deficit without immediate layoffs. Trustees were explicit that the freeze targeted unfilled positions and that the department would continue to deploy officers to maintain coverage across feeders and elementary schools.
Ending: trustees approved the motion to freeze the four unfilled positions; staff will implement the reassignments described and incorporate the savings into the amended budget brought back for final signature.
