Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rich County approves interlocal to place rotating School Resource Officer in district; first‑year payment set at $90,000
Summary
After a public hearing, the Rich County Commission approved Resolution 26‑1 authorizing an interlocal agreement among Rich County, the school district and sheriff to provide a rotating School Resource Officer (SRO). County counsel explained statutory duties, limits on SRO disciplinary actions and requirements for parental notice; commissioners agreed to a $90,000 payment for the 2026–27 school year and changed the SRO presence window to 30 minutes before and after school.
The Rich County Commission opened and closed a public hearing and approved Resolution 26‑1 authorizing an interlocal agreement to place a rotating School Resource Officer (SRO) in the Rich County School District.
County counsel reviewed the statutory framework (Utah Code Title 53G) and explained that a school district must perform a safety needs assessment and may meet requirements through a combination of a school safety specialist, school guardians, an armed security guard, or a School Resource Officer. The proposed interlocal — drafted to include the school district, Rich County and the sheriff’s office — sets out SRO goals and a hybrid role described in the national SRO triad: law enforcement, informal educator and mentor.
Counsel read key agreement terms: the sheriff will provide one SRO to rotate among district campuses; the SRO remains a sheriff’s office employee and the sheriff will pay salary and benefits with the district to reimburse a negotiated amount; the SRO may be reassigned or called away for emergency responses elsewhere in the county; the job includes mentorship, threat assessment participation and limits on involvement in routine classroom discipline; the SRO may arrest students when probable cause exists for serious offenses or immediate threats. "If there's an emergency, the SRO could be called upon to leave," counsel told the commission.
Commissioners negotiated several specifics at the meeting: they changed the proposed 15‑minute morning/evening presence window to 30 minutes before and after school dismissal to better cover bus loading/unloading; they agreed the agreement should include a year‑to‑year or three‑year duration with an annual meeting to set the district reimbursement. The commissioners also agreed to a one‑time payment of $90,000 for fiscal year 2026–27 and to meet annually prior to the district's budget deadline to set subsequent payments.
No public commenters registered substantive objections during the hearing. Commissioners voted to close the public hearing, and then voted to approve the resolution authorizing the chairman to sign the interlocal with the discussed edits. County staff will incorporate the changes (90,000 first‑year payment; meet annually prior to the district budget deadline; 30‑minute presence before/after school) into the final agreement and provide copies to the chairman and school district for signatures.
Next steps: county counsel will finalize language reflecting the changes discussed on April 8 and circulate the amended interlocal and addendum to implement future year adjustments; the school district will hold its statutory public hearing as required by statute (noted by counsel at its next board meeting).
