The Emporia Board of Education on Jan. 14 received a first reading of a draft letter of intent to partner with the Emporia Police Department to place one school resource officer in district schools next year. The document was presented as a preliminary, negotiable agreement that would return to the board for action after further review.

Dr. Erica Mickelson, who introduced the item as a first read, said the arrangement could reduce repeated police call-outs to school buildings and provide an on-site responder "rather than having to call out for someone." She described the draft as a starting point and said the police department could revise the language before the board sees a final agreement.

Board members pressed staff for details about uniforms, discipline and family notification. Mickelson said the draft allows for "soft uniform" assignment but can be revised to reflect board preferences; she also said the district would continue to follow its discipline policies and that law-enforcement involvement would occur only where the conduct met legal thresholds. "If it is illegal," she said, "then that is where we would need to pull more in on that legal side of things." Chief Owens of the Emporia Police Department said SROs must complete SRO-specific training and described the approach as collaborative: officers would support schools while respecting school-based discipline processes.

The board also discussed logistics: whether the SRO would be a district employee (during school hours) or an Emporia Police Department employee. Mickelson said the officer would be available to the district during the school year and school-day hours; during breaks and summer months the officer would remain an EPD employee. The presentation noted state-mandated SRO training minimums and local practices that often exceed the baseline.

District staff estimated the partnership would increase next year's costs by about $50,000. Mickelson said the district had not found an available grant in an initial search but would continue exploring outside funding and welcomed community leads.

Superintendent David McGehee and other board members asked staff to bring back a finalized draft with clearer language about uniforms, parental-notification standards for interviews, training requirements and how discipline decisions would be coordinated with law enforcement. No vote was taken; the item was informational at this meeting.