Board approves renewal for two school resource officers after heated public debate

The Gilroy Unified School District board approved a renewal of its memorandum of understanding with the City of Gilroy for two school resource officers (SROs) after a lengthy public comment period in which parents, students and community groups both supported and opposed the arrangement.

Community speakers who opposed the renewal urged the board to invest in counselors and wellness centers rather than officers. One commenter said the proposed expense for two officers was “definitely excessive” and suggested the money could better fund alternatives such as mental-health services and wellness centers. Other speakers recounted negative experiences with officers and raised concerns about searches, profiling and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Several students and community members urged the board to retain SROs, saying officers provide a visible deterrent and a fast first-responder presence. Student speaker Genesis Lopez said keeping SROs on campus helps students continue their education "without fear," while senior Emily Espena told the board that officers made her feel secure and that parents she spoke to felt grateful for the presence of officers.

District staff presented results from the district’s annual LCAP survey showing high favorable responses: the staff summary in the presentation noted roughly 93% of staff, about 90% of students and 94% of parents indicated they were comfortable with SROs on campus and a majority said SROs made them feel safer. Staff also reported declines in suspension incidents and juvenile citations and described SROs’ work as focused on relationship-building, restorative practices and prevention. Director of Educational Services Sonia Flores said the district requires an annual survey and highlighted SRO training in restorative practices and active-shooter response.

Trustees debated budget trade-offs, prevention strategies and the district’s capacity to provide alternatives. Trustee Delbono, while sympathetic to concerns, argued for a balanced approach and for keeping staff supports aligned with SRO work; Trustee Morano and others noted SROs’ preventive interactions and said the district had restructured earlier SRO practices to emphasize youth engagement. Trustee Peno said staffing two SROs for all sites is unaffordable and suggested retaining one if necessary.

The motion to renew the MOU for two SROs was made and seconded; the board voice-voted to approve the renewal. The transcript records the motion passing after public debate and trustee discussion. The MOU was presented to the board for the 2025–26 school year; the staff presentation listed the proposed amount in the packet (as presented in the public slide deck) and the district emphasized that SROs spend the majority of their logged time on positive interactions and prevention work.

The approval comes amid an ongoing local debate about how best to invest limited general-fund dollars for student safety, mental health and prevention services; several trustees asked staff to continue exploring upstream supports and to report back on alternatives and budget trade-offs.