School board hears update on SRO MOU and operating procedures; final MOU expected in December

The Charlottesville City School Board on Nov. 6 received an update on the draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) and standard operating procedure (SOP) that will govern the planned return of school resource officers (SROs).

Dr. Johnson, who led the presentation, said the two documents — the MOU (policy-level commitments) and the SOP (day-to-day guidance) — reflect community feedback gathered through surveys, focus groups and public events. "The SOP is the practical detailed guidance for daily SRO operations, implementation, training and selection," she said. She noted the second draft of the MOU had already incorporated many suggestions and said the working group aims to present a final MOU in December and have SROs onsite in August 2026.

The draft SOP specifies one SRO at Charlottesville High School and one at Charlottesville Middle School and lays out a selection process that includes input from students, staff and parents. It also lists required trainings for officers and staff: mental-health and crisis intervention, de-escalation, implicit and racial-bias training, restorative justice and cultural competency. The SOP includes a matrix clarifying scenarios in which SROs would and would not be involved in incidents and refers to accountability and transparency measures in the MOU.

Student voices that participated in the process are central to the documents, Dr. Johnson said, and staff additions to the working group include school care and safety assistants to refine day-to-day procedures. "We have added CSAs from Walker, CMS, and CHS to the working group as we continue to refine these foundational documents," she said.

Students and board members pressed presenters on firearms, use-of-force and the line between school discipline and criminal enforcement. Student representative Solly Schwartzman told the board that firearms are the major reason students remain cautious about SROs: "What I've learned talking to people is that as long as guns are part of the SRO plan, there will always be caution," he said. Board members asked how the SOP would prevent routine involvement by officers in minor discipline.

A police liaison explained the working group's approach: SROs should not be asked to intervene in routine school disciplinary matters, and police involvement is intended for situations that meet criminal thresholds, such as suspected distribution of controlled substances or threats to safety. On contraband, the liaison said an officer would generally not intervene for possession unless there is evidence of distribution. He added that discretion about charging would remain similar to other situations where staff or officers are harmed in an intervention.

Next steps include continued working-group revisions based on feedback, alignment with the city attorney and city processes, and the working group's stated timeline to present a final MOU in December for signatures by the superintendent and the police chief.

The working group also keeps a public Google form open to capture additional feedback as the documents are refined.