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County approves school resource officer MOU; court authorizes an additional deputy position
Summary
The court approved a memorandum of understanding with Newville ISD providing a fully funded school resource officer and authorized a new sheriff's office patrol position to backfill county staffing so deputy headcount does not decline.
Newton County Commissioners Court approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Newville Independent School District to provide a school resource officer (SRO) on district campuses and authorized an additional sheriff’s office patrol position to cover the county staffing gap.
S4 explained the district would 'fully fund that position,' and deputies assigned as SROs would continue to be county deputies for pay and administrative purposes but would be funded by the school while assigned. The MOU makes the district responsible for filling the SRO position and covering costs for absences; the county will use the deputy during summer and other times as agreed.
To ensure county patrol levels are maintained, S4 asked the court to approve creation of an additional patrol deputy so the county’s total deputy count does not drop when one deputy is assigned as an SRO. The court voted to authorize the new position; a commissioner said the school would reimburse the county for the period already covered.
Why it matters: the agreement extends SRO coverage for district campuses while preserving county patrol capacity. The arrangement shifts operational costs for the SRO to the district but requires administrative coordination for scheduling and replacements.
What’s next: staff will work with the school district to finalize the MOU details and reconcile the county budget to account for the reimbursed or replaced duties; commissioners asked staff to verify funding schedules and payroll accounting.
