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Board hears hours of testimony on proposed SRO memorandum; community divided
Summary
A draft memorandum of understanding pairing School Resource Officers with on‑site mental‑health clinicians drew extensive public comment. Supporters cited safety and relationships; critics urged more counselors, detailed guardrails, and stronger complaint and termination rules.
District staff presented a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) on July 30 that would pair School Resource Officers (SROs) from Watsonville Police and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office with on‑site mental‑health clinicians at district high schools.
Interim Director of Student Services Heather Gorman described the MOU as a framework to “define the role of the SRO, outline required training and establish monitoring systems to assess their effectiveness.” She said the proposed approach centers restorative practices, limits SRO involvement in day‑to‑day disciplinary matters, and pairs SROs with clinicians so the district’s response prioritizes “calm, connection, and recovery.”
Proponents said trained officers can help keep campuses…
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