County approves $2,000 increase per district for school resource officers

The Pottawattamie County Board approved an amendment to the school resource officer (SRO) agreement that raises the county’s contribution by $2,000 per district, bringing the county portion to $22,000 per school.

Attorney Kristen (Christian) Bracker, the county’s counsel on the agreement, said the proposed increase was prompted by cost pressures: deputy salary and benefit increases and the difficulty of recovering full costs where levies and jurisdictional borders differ. Board members discussed whether school districts were applying for outside grants that previously subsidized SROs and noted that past state grants had influenced the original $20,000 figure. One board member summarized the point: the board wanted to “cover our costs” so the sheriff’s office can sustainably supply officers to schools.

Supervisors voted to approve the contract with the $2,000 per‑school addition and directed staff to take the amended terms to the five school districts served under the program.

Why it matters: The decision adjusts the county’s budget commitment to SROs and will affect school district budgets and future contract negotiations as districts consider whether to fund SROs directly or seek external grants.