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Sheriff Tammy Sternert tells Southern Door board keeping a full‑time SRO is a priority; county could consider reduced options with tradeoffs
Summary
Sheriff Tammy Sternert, in the audience, told the board the county covers benefits and some equipment for SROs and said maintaining a full‑time SRO is important for student safety; she said part‑time or shared options would require county approval and staffing tradeoffs.
The board discussed the school resource officer contract, which the administration said expires June 30, 2026, and invited Sheriff Tammy Sternert to explain county options.
"If you want your kids to be safe at school, you have to find a way," Sheriff Tammy Sternert said, describing the county’s staffing model and urging continued partnership. She explained the county typically covers salary and wages for about 1,600 school hours per SRO annually and pays benefits, training and equipment separately through the sheriff’s office budget.
Sheriff Sternert said a reduction to part‑time SRO coverage would require her office to present options to the county administrator and county board, because changing hours would shift patrol and compensation responsibilities. She noted some districts in the county are moving forward with two‑year full‑time SRO contracts, and said modest cost reductions came from shared insurance arrangements in a specific staffing configuration.
District administrators said they had worked with neighboring superintendents and the sheriff to draft a two‑year contract proposal with a small reduction in cost, and asked the sheriff to describe funding and operational tradeoffs. Board members asked whether the district could move to a 50% SRO or share a position; the sheriff said she would need direction about the board’s expectations before modeling cost and staffing options.
The board did not decide to end or alter SRO coverage at the meeting; trustees asked administration to include the sheriff’s options in budget follow‑up materials so the board can weigh safety needs against other operating cuts.
The sheriff offered to continue participating in follow‑up conversations and to present specific county‑level proposals if the board asked.
