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Broward board to hold public sessions after plan to reduce contracted SROs draws pushback
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Summary
Superintendent and chief safety officer outlined a phased plan to shift some contracted school resource officer roles to district-employed officers to cut costs and standardize training; municipalities and some board members objected to the rollout and asked for a town hall and workshop.
The Broward County superintendent and the district's chief safety officer drew sharp questions from board members and municipal representatives after letters notifying some cities about planned changes to school resource officer (SRO) contracts were circulated.
Chief Michael Gregory told the board the district has been negotiating with municipal partners since last fall and that contracting costs are driving interest in a phased transition to more district-employed school police SROs. "The cost today of SRO is roughly eighteen-twenty percent higher than our cost of an internal police officer SRO," Gregory said, adding the district's approach would transition roughly 13% of contracted positions in the upcoming year as part of a multi-year plan. He framed the change as an attempt to reduce policy fragmentation across 14 separate municipal approaches and to gain consistent training and accountability under district direction.
Several board members and municipal representatives said they were blindsided by how the letters were sent and urged in-person community conversations. "This decision came as a surprise to all stakeholders," the District Advisory Council said in its report, which requested clarity on process and costs. Board members asked for a public-facing workshop or town hall; the superintendent agreed to schedule an engagement session and to provide the board a written plan beforehand. The board asked that towns receive full briefings and that the public have multiple opportunities to comment before any contract or operational change is finalized.
Superintendent Howard Hepburn and Chief Gregory said contracts for certain municipalities that are expiring will not be renewed and that services would be transitioned over several years; staff emphasized the intent to avoid abrupt changes and to phase transitions to align training and safety standards. The board did not adopt a formal vote at the workshop; members directed staff to hold community forums and then return with a workshop-level briefing for board discussion.
Next steps: the superintendent committed to provide the board and municipal partners with a detailed transition plan and financial analysis in advance of the town hall and to work with city managers to improve how contract changes are communicated.
