Board reviews SRO coverage gaps and grant options after 22 school threats this year

Speaker 1 reviewed the district’s current school resource‑officer (SRO) arrangements and the grants that partially fund coverage. He said the system has 13 SROs assigned to middle and high schools and a grant‑funded program that placed roaming elementary officers in each of four zones; an additional grant would add two more elementary officers for non‑AT zones. The superintendent said those grants reduce local expense but that many positions would still need local funding or other arrangements.

Using current pay and market estimates, Speaker 1 presented a back‑of‑the‑envelope cost for an SRO at every school: “Total cost for 30 SROs would be … dollars 2,000,736,” he said. Board members pressed the district and sheriff’s office about hiring availability; Speaker 5 (board attorney/staff) later said a drafted MOU has been prepared and is now under review, and that the delay was largely a timing and communications issue rather than an absence of interest.

The meeting underscored urgency: members reported 22 verbal or written threats to schools so far during the school year and urged rapid action. The board discussed alternative delivery models, including using off‑duty deputies, contracting private security firms for some sites, or continuing pursuit of grant funds and AT‑tax funding for targeted elementary coverage. Several board members expressed frustration about paperwork and legal steps that have delayed an implementation the board expected months earlier.

No vote occurred. The board asked staff to accelerate MOU completion with the sheriff’s office, explore the private‑security option for some AT‑tax schools, and bring cost and timeline comparisons back to commissioners and the board.