Commissioners approve 70/30 school resource officer agreement with Sanford‑Fritch ISD

The Hutchinson County Commissioners Court approved an interlocal agreement to place a school resource officer (SRO) in Sanford‑Fritch Independent School District schools, with the district paying 70% of salary and benefits and Hutchinson County covering 30%.

The county discussed several cost splits before voting. Superintendent Hills, representing Sanford‑Fritch ISD, said the district returned an offer to reduce its share from an earlier 80/20 proposal because of tight local budgets and limited grant dollars: “we're just trying to get the, you know, the dollar as low as possible, but still provide security for our students,” Hills said. Jason Garrison, the district’s director of operations, told commissioners the district was also exploring state security grants that might help offset costs.

County officials stressed the agreement is annual and can be renegotiated during future budget cycles if the initial arrangement proves infeasible. One commissioner noted flexibility: if the 70/30 split “doesn't work, we could renegotiate that in the next budget year,” and the court discussed routing adjustments through the annual budget process.

The court voted by voice to enter the interlocal agreement and authorized staff to finalize terms. Commissioners and school representatives said they hope to present a final contract to the school board at its meeting later that evening.

Next steps: the sheriff’s office and district officials will complete the written interlocal contract and return with final documents for signature; the court will budget its 30% share in the upcoming fiscal year.