Phoenix Union board accepts state grant to fund 15 school resource officers after hours of public comment

The Phoenix Union High School District governing board voted Thursday to accept an Arizona Department of Education school safety grant that awards the district funding for 15 school resource officers (SROs), following a lengthy public comment period and questions about training, campus placement and alternative uses of the funds.

Supporters — including several principals and campus staff — told the board SROs shorten emergency response times and serve as mentors. "It's not about the minutes, it's about the seconds," said Jessica Gomez, a classified staff member at North High School and a parent, citing on-campus emergency responses where an officer’s immediate action mattered. Principal Jamie Johnston told the board North had "72 times" this year when the campus required a rapid medical or emergency response and said a dedicated SRO helped coordinate those incidents.

Opponents, including students and youth organizers, urged the board to decline the grant and invest instead in counselors and mental-health services. "Safety is not created through fear or more police in our schools," said Genesis Kamacho, a student speaker. Another youth organizer cited a 2024 Department of Justice finding about the Phoenix Police Department as a reason to avoid expanding police presence in schools.

District staff presented data the board said informed the grant application. Mr. Chris Rhodess, PXU campus and community director of safety, said the district recorded roughly 500 calls for service tied to campuses during the 2025–26 year and described incidents — including robberies and missing-juvenile reports — that drew community members to school sites. Vanessa Casillas, who presented community crime density information, said the grant application used regional crime data and a one-question campus survey in which parents registered the highest level of support for SROs.

Superintendent Andrade and staff emphasized the district’s multi-layered safety model, which includes counselors, social workers, perimeter upgrades, cameras and other non-law-enforcement measures, and said the SROs are one layer among many. The district also told the board it developed a PXU-specific onboarding and Canvas training module for any incoming SRO or safety support officer (SSO) that would cover district philosophy and special-needs considerations.

Board members pressed for specifics. Representative Marquez asked why the district applied only for SRO positions and not counselors; staff replied that the state prioritized SROs in this grant cycle and that PXU had applied for SROs and social workers earlier but received SRO funding in this award. Board members also asked about the city’s capacity to supply 15 sworn officers; staff said the city has about 70 SROs in its department and that final allocations could change, with the city expected to clarify availability by June 22.

Following discussion, Representative Marquez moved to approve acceptance of the grant and directed the superintendent and general counsel to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Phoenix Police Department based on recommendations from the district’s prior school safety committee. The motion passed on a roll-call vote after members explained their votes.

The board’s action authorizes the district to accept the awarded grant and to work with the City of Phoenix on staffing, training and rules of engagement before full deployment on campuses. District staff said four current SROs are already assigned to PXU campuses and that the award would allow the district to pursue a consistent campus-by-campus model, pending the city’s final assignment of officers.

What happens next: district staff will pursue the IGA and return with defined training requirements, stationing plans and any needed administrative agreements. Staff said the IGA will be presented for board review after the city completes internal approvals and that the district will continue to monitor and report on safety data.

Vote at a glance: The board approved the motion to accept the ADES school safety grant and to direct staff to negotiate an IGA. (Roll-call statements were made on the record; members also offered brief explanations before the vote.)

Why it matters: The grant funds a visible safety measure that district leaders say addresses immediate emergency response gaps near campuses; opponents say it risks expanding law enforcement contact with students who would benefit from more counselors and social services. The board’s direction to negotiate a district-centered IGA signals an attempt to set local expectations for training and operations before full implementation.