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Shenandoah County officials briefed on DCJS grant to fund school‑safety liaison
Summary
Sheriff’s staff told the Board of Supervisors the county won a one‑year DCJS award of $56,387 plus a required $41,644 local match to fund a school‑safety liaison position across Shenandoah County schools; supervisors pressed for clarity on sworn vs. civilian staffing, reporting and how the local match would be covered.
Shenandoah County staff told the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12 that the county was awarded a Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) grant of $56,387 to fund a law‑enforcement liaison position focused on school safety for the 2026 calendar year, with a required local match of $41,644, bringing the project total to $98,031. The funding period for the award is 01/01/2026 through 12/31/2026 and staff said they plan to reapply annually.
Sheriff's office representative Mr. Stewart described the role as a strategic point of contact across all Shenandoah County schools to support school emergency planning, threat assessments, drills and coordination between SROs and school administrators. Stewart said the role could be filled by a sworn officer or a civilian; if sworn, the person could fill SRO duties when needed. He told supervisors the county currently has funds in the budget and projected the local match could be covered from existing part‑time funds.
Supervisors asked detailed operational questions: whether the position would supervise SROs, how it would differ from existing sergeant and captain responsibilities, how overtime and comp time are handled for SROs, and whether the schools had requested this support. Mr. Stewart said the position would not serve in a supervisory capacity over SRO personnel but would instead coordinate closely with school administrators and SROs; a sergeant and captain currently provide supervision. He also said the county tracks patrol/SRO time and part‑time hiring and believes there is budget capacity to meet the match in the current fiscal year.
Several supervisors asked for periodic reports from the liaison if the board approves the position to ensure transparency for constituents. Mr. Stewart agreed that the county would provide updates and noted similarities to reporting done for other community‑service deputy positions.
No formal vote on accepting the grant was recorded in the transcript during the presented segment; the item was described as a non‑action consideration on the agenda.
