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Fayetteville to accept $250,000 COPS grant to add two school resource officers; city share estimated at $193,135 over four years
Summary
The council previewed acceptance of a $250,000 2025 COPS Hiring Program grant to fund two additional school resource officers for Fayetteville Public Schools; Deputy Chief Pat Scott said the city budget covers the remaining local match, estimated at $193,135 over four years, split under the MOU with schools (city 32%, schools 68%).
Fayetteville’s council reviewed a resolution to accept a $250,000 2025 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring grant that would fund two additional school resource officer (SRO) positions. Deputy Chief Pat Scott explained the grant timeline and how those positions fit into a council resolution passed in August 2022 to add two SRO FTEs per year until each school is staffed.
Why it matters: The grant reduces near-term local cost for adding officers, but council members pressed staff about the long-term staffing implications once federal funding phases out and about the program’s impacts in schools. Minister Jones and others raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of SRO placements on marginalized students and asked for data on outcomes and fiscal commitments after the grant period.
City staff said the COPS program uses a five-year structure: hiring in year one, grant-funded support in years two through four, and a retention requirement in year five. Scott said the estimated total cost for the two SROs is $792,072; after the $250,000 grant the remaining local match would be $542,072. Under the current Memorandum of Understanding with Fayetteville Public Schools, the school district would cover 68% of that match ($348,937) for 178 school days, leaving the city responsible for approximately $193,135 (32%) over the four-year window.
Councilmembers sought clarity on whether the city would permanently absorb these positions after the federal grant expires. Deputy Chief Scott and budget staff said the city budgets for the positions and that the council’s August 2022 resolution envisioned adding SRO FTEs until each school had coverage. "We budget for them to be permanent members of staff," a staff member said during discussion.
Next steps: The item will move from the agenda-review session to the council agenda for a formal acceptance vote. Staff committed to provide up-to-date statistics on school referrals and law-enforcement encounters tied to SRO activity and to provide clearer budget detail about when the city will assume full costs if federal support ends.
