Somerset board shifts funds to restore full‑time school resource officer

The Somerset School Board voted to use fund 80 to restore a full‑time school resource officer (SRO) on campus, approving the funding change after debate about tax impacts and budget priorities.

Trustees discussed prior budget cuts, the district’s five‑year plan and the need to balance compensation increases and staffing with safety needs. One board member summarized the administration’s approach: the board previously directed the superintendent to find a reasonable way to reinstate an SRO, and the superintendent identified fund 80 as a viable source.

A trustee defending the change said it was the appropriate way to fund the SRO and to avoid losing additional staff, calling the shift “the most reasonable way to get a full‑time SRO back on campus.” Other trustees pressed for clarity about taxpayer impact; the board discussed estimates expressed as cents per thousand in assessed value and asked administration to present clearer taxpayer impact figures to the public.

When the board took a roll call on the funding motion, the tally recorded six votes in favor and one opposed. The motion passed, and the district will proceed to fund the SRO from fund 80 as described by administration.

Superintendent remarks earlier in the meeting referenced multiple rounds of budget review and prior cuts totalling more than $1.4 million over recent years; trustees said the SRO funding approach attempts to preserve instructional staff and prevent further layoffs.

Implementation steps were assigned to administration to finalize the funding transfer and to communicate to the public what the incremental tax impact would be.