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Mixed views in stakeholder survey as PVUSD debates role of SROs and campus mental‑health clinicians
Summary
District survey and a student research project showed mixed perceptions of school resource officers (SROs) and school‑based mental‑health clinicians; parents and staff favored clinicians more often than SROs, while trustees and commenters debated training, jurisdiction and alternatives such as restorative practices.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District presented survey findings June 11 on perceptions of school resource officers (SROs) and school‑based mental‑health clinicians, a topic that generated sustained public comment and trustee debate.
Coordinator Ben Slider summarized a voluntary spring survey of roughly 321 students, 220 staff and 576 caregivers across sites where an SRO or clinician is assigned. The district said most respondents answered "agree" or "neutral" to questions about whether the role made them feel safe and whether the role had beneficial relationships with students. However, parents and staff were more likely to answer "yes" for mental‑health clinicians than for SROs when asked whether they should continue to be available on campus.
A student researcher who analyzed race‑based differences in SRO perception told the board the responses indicated lower levels of trust among some minoritized student groups, prompting staff to add ethnicity questions to future surveys so the district can better target improvements.
Public comment was sharply divided: some families and educators credited SROs and clinicians with de‑escalation, crisis response and saving lives; other speakers described risks that policing on campus can criminalize adolescent behavior and urged the board to expand restorative practices and community‑based alternatives instead of relying on SROs. Trustees proposed measures including tighter written protocols, mandatory anti‑bias and de‑escalation training for SROs, and stronger oversight and reporting of SRO student contacts.
What’s next: Staff proposed monthly SRO/clinician coordination meetings, better site‑level training, improved data collection that captures demographic disparities and student‑led forums. Trustees discussed whether SROs should be funded by precincts, whether citations should ever result from campus interactions without parent notification, and whether the district should finalize a written SRO policy.
