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Pajaro Valley trustees approve SRO contracts after heated public debate
Summary
The Pajaro Valley Unified board approved two school resource officer contracts for Watsonville and Aptos high schools on July 16 despite prolonged public opposition and questions about costs, training and equity. The decisions followed extensive public comment and spirited trustee debate.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted July 16 to approve two school resource officer (SRO) contracts — with the Watsonville Police Department and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office — after a prolonged and often rancorous public hearing.
Heather Gorman, the district’s interim executive director of student support services, summarized the Watsonville agreement as a city-funded staffing commitment with district reimbursement capped at $291,630. “The city will fully fund, train, and equip the officers…with a total cost no more than 291,630,” she said while presenting the items to the board.
The Watsonville contract requires the city to recruit and assign two sworn officers; the district would coordinate services, provide site liaisons and contract training ideas such as trauma-informed practices and restorative approaches. The Aptos agreement is an amendment that extends a sheriff’s-office placement through June 30, 2026 and reflects a 25% reduction in the dollar amount from earlier drafts.
Public comment ran more than an hour for each item and split the room. Supporters emphasized safety and fast emergency response: Brandon Johnson, a former lifeguard and youth mentor, said SROs provide “education and proximity,” arguing officers can deter violence and build relationships when properly trained.
Opponents argued SROs criminalize students and exacerbate inequities. A number of speakers, including parents and union representatives, said they feared increased policing would harm students of color and immigrant families and pressed the board for alternative investments in counselors, restorative practices and community mentors. A union speaker asked the district to publish a clear plan for how SROs and mental-health clinicians would coordinate, and called for the county or city to bear more of the cost.
Trustees questioned the process and requested clearer operational rules. Several trustees asked that the district publish an SRO handbook for parents and staff explaining officers’ roles and limits; Heather Gorman said drafts exist and staff will seek input from law enforcement, principals and legal counsel.
Roll-call votes were recorded in open session. For the Watsonville contract the board’s roll call recorded supporting votes from Trustee Turley and Trustee Dodge and a dissent from Trustee Krasco; Trustee Navaro and Trustee Medina voted (recording shows mixed responses during the roll call) and President Flores cast a deciding vote in favor. The motion to approve the Aptos agreement was recorded with a similar roll-call result.
Board members who supported the contracts cited the 2021 stabbing at Aptos High and district survey data indicating broad support from parents, staff and students; those opposing the measures urged the board to prioritize mental-health staffing and training and reiterated concerns about unequal discipline and risk of court involvement for students.
Trustees directed staff to produce the SRO/clinician handbook and to continue discussions about shared funding with city and county partners. The board approved the contracts and moved on to other business.
What’s next: The SRO contracts will be implemented with the scheduling and training steps described by staff; trustees asked for a finalized handbook before the start of the school year and said they would ask for regular reports on training, referrals, citations and any incidents that involve school officers.
