Southern Door board approves one‑year SRO renewal; district to cover full in‑school salary

The Southern Door County School District Board of Education on June 16 approved a one‑year renewal of its intergovernmental School Resource Officer agreement, with the district assuming full payment of the SRO’s in‑school salary and benefits for the nine months the officer is assigned to school.

Superintendent Kevin raised the item and invited Kyle, who answered board questions about the program’s funding change. Kyle said county officials reclassified the SRO program as discretionary and asked districts to cover the full 100% of salary and benefits for the time the officer is in schools. "We're really just asking for that 100% of the salary and wages for the time that our SRO is in school," Kyle said, describing the request as limited to salary and benefits and not including vehicle, uniform or equipment costs.

Board members emphasized the program’s value in building trust with students while also voicing budget concerns. One board member said the SRO presence has had clear positive effects: "I think it's a necessity that we do continue on," the board member said, describing the officer as accessible to students and helpful to school climate. Several board members suggested that superintendents and county leaders continue negotiating the long‑term funding approach after the one‑year term.

The board read and adopted a resolution titled to approve the renewal of the intergovernmental School Resource Officer program in accordance with board policy 8407 (filed 06/16/2025). Following a motion and second, the board conducted a roll‑call vote; the motion carried and the resolution passed.

The renewal approved on June 16 is for one year; district officials said the shorter term gives the district and county flexibility to revisit funding and contract details next year. The board also discussed the possibility that if the county’s budget situation changed, county support could be renegotiated after the one‑year period.