Wentzville R‑IV board approves pilot school safety officers; members debate staffing and cost
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Summary
The board approved a pilot to add School Safety Officers beginning in January with evaluation after about two months; discussion included whether to hire four versus more positions and conflicting cost estimates (about $250,000 vs. $300,000 for initial staffing were mentioned).
The Wentzville R‑IV School Board approved a pilot plan to add School Safety Officers (SSOs) to district buildings, with district staff saying the pilot would begin in January and be evaluated roughly two months after implementation.
District staff described the pilot as adding SSOs to some elementary buildings while maintaining School Resource Officer coverage in middle and high schools. "If it's successful, we really would probably look to add 1 SSO every elementary school," a staff member said during discussion.
Board members debated the number of positions proposed. One board member said they came prepared to propose hiring 11 SSOs rather than 4 but accepted the pilot approach; another board member said the district preferred starting with fewer positions to test scheduling and role definitions. Cost estimates in the discussion varied: one speaker said annual cost would be "around $250,000," while another cited a figure near "$300,000 annually" for the additional positions; the transcript records both figures.
After discussion, the board conducted a roll-call vote and the motion to approve the presented positions carried with recorded ayes from directors on the board.
The board directed staff to close the posted positions, begin the hiring process with the expectation of January start dates for the pilot, and report back on outcomes after the evaluation period.