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District lays out part‑time SRO bridge plan and seeks grant clarity as staffing falls short
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Schover told the board the Center for Safer Schools grant is not yet released and presented a multi‑part plan — including hiring off‑duty officers at $45/hour for 20 hours per week, a dedicated sheriff supervisor, quarterly invoicing and a possible shift from an 83% to a 75% district cost share — to maintain SRO coverage amid staffing shortages.
Dr. Schover told the board Rockingham County Schools has invested in cameras, safety lobbies, bus sound cameras and a director of safety but is facing uncertainty about SRO funding and a shortage of officers at the elementary level.
"We have uncertainty, particularly with our elementary SROs," Dr. Schover said. He told the board the Center for Safer Schools has not released its grant guidance for the upcoming school year and the district does not yet know how much funding, if any, it will receive.
To bridge potential gaps, Schover outlined three options the district has researched: hiring off‑duty officers at an estimated $45 per hour to cover difficult‑to‑staff schools for 20 hours a week (a cost the presentation estimated at about $36,000 annually per position), adding a Rockingham County supervisor position to coordinate roving elementary SRO coverage, and changing invoicing to municipalities to quarterly payments to avoid paying for unfilled positions at the beginning of the year.
"We actually have about 3 or 4 different recommendations that we're gonna present to you, to get your feedback on," Schover said, adding that the proposal is meant to preserve current full‑time SROs while providing flexible coverage where agencies cannot fill posts.
Board members raised questions about differential benefit packages among municipal partners, how refunds for lapsed salaries have been handled in the past and whether reducing the district’s share of SRO costs from 83% to 75% (or a 75% cap on total compensation) would be feasible. Philip Butler and others suggested the board might consider a middle ground between 83% and 75% and examine a cap tied to total compensation.
Mister Goodykoontz, asked by Schover to describe the sheriff's department perspective, said the sheriff’s office currently supervises nine schools and recommended a dedicated supervisor to manage roving coverage and fill short‑term vacancies.
Schover said the district plans to meet with law enforcement partners on June 17 to review the approach and will return with refined options through the regular budget process. He emphasized there is no district intent to reduce full‑time SRO positions.
What’s next: Staff will meet law enforcement partners on June 17 and bring budget‑level recommendations back to the board for a vote in the regular budget process.
