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Nye County approves interlocal to keep two sheriff deputies in schools as commissioners press district for funding
Summary
The Nye County Board approved a February–June interlocal agreement with the school district to fund two School Resource Officers (SROs) after sheriff and parents warned of recent campus safety incidents; commissioners said the district should pursue additional funding and grants to cover the program’s full cost.
The Nye County Board of County Commissioners voted 5–0 on Dec. 2 to approve an interlocal contract with the Nye County School District to continue providing two School Resource Officers for the remainder of the 2025–26 school year.
Sheriff Joe McGill told the board the officers are necessary to maintain safety at Pahrump-area schools and to respond to frequent incidents. “I would rather have a deputy in every school all day if we could,” he said, arguing the county lacks the manpower and money to staff SROs everywhere without supplemental funding.
The agreement calls for $50,000 from the school district — described in the staff report as inclusive of salaries and benefits — but county staff said that the full cost to the sheriff’s office of providing the service this year is roughly $304,625. Commissioners pressed the district to re-evaluate its budget and seek grants to cover a larger share going forward.
Parents and community members gave mixed testimony during public comment. A Tonopah parent said an eighth-grade student ran from a classmate who brandished a knife and urged commissioners to ensure coverage across the county. Other speakers urged the school district to find or reallocate funding rather than rely on the county budget.
Supporters of the contract stressed that some presence is better than none and that the $50,000 payment augments the sheriff’s budget while the district pursues other funding options. Opponents said the board was being asked to subsidize a service they felt should be funded entirely by the schools.
The contract, which terminates June 30, 2026, was approved with a directive from commissioners that staff continue outreach to the school district to identify sustainable funding and possible grant sources. The sheriff’s office confirmed overtime for sporting events and offseason details remain the school district’s responsibility under current practice.
The board’s vote: approved, 5–0. Next steps: county staff will communicate the county’s cost estimates to the Nye County School District and ask the district to consider budget adjustments or external grant options before the next contract cycle.
