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Beaufort County outlines local Class 3 School Resource Officer training to staff elementary schools
Summary
County leaders described a locally run Class 3 SRO training syllabus approved by the state training council, aiming to certify officers in about eight weeks and deploy them by the August school start; recruitment will target retired military, retired teachers and other local candidates.
Beaufort County officials described a new locally run Class 3 School Resource Officer (SRO) training program intended to staff elementary and other schools across the county.
A county presenter said the Class 3 syllabus is designed so trainees can complete the bulk of training locally in roughly eight weeks rather than traveling to Columbia for the 12-week academy required for Class 1 certification. "This is a Class 3 law enforcement designation," the presenter said, adding that Class 3 officers would be uniformed, armed and have the arrest powers of other law enforcement officers while assigned to schools. The syllabus was sent to the state academy and received the blessing of the South Carolina Training Council, officials said.
Speakers emphasized the program’s aim to attract candidates who prefer remaining close to family, including retired military and retired teachers, and to create an interjurisdictional training network across Bluffton, Beaufort, Port Royal and the sheriff's office. Officials cited a starting pay figure of about $45,000 and said jurisdictions vary in immediate openings (speakers cited numbers ranging from two openings in one agency to nine in another). The presenters said they hope to begin the first class in June so trainees can be deployed when school begins in August.
County leaders asked staff to post application information and phone numbers on municipal and sheriff’s office web pages to begin recruitment; the presenters encouraged prospective applicants to apply regardless of the employing jurisdiction because pay and training would be comparable across participating agencies.
Officials said the program is intended to provide a safety presence in schools and to expand mentoring opportunities for younger students. The county described the initiative as a model it hopes will be used more broadly in South Carolina if local training proves successful.
