Atlantic board approves MOU with city to hire shared School Resource Officer; district to cover at least 75% of cost

The Atlantic Community School District board approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Atlantic to hire a shared School Resource Officer (SRO).

Under the agreement the district will pay a minimum of 75% of the officer's salary and benefits while the city will cover at least 25% (to be applied to employee benefits). The MOU requires that the officer complete a civil-resource-officer certification course within a reasonable period after selection and before acting in the SRO role. The officer will be employed by the city's police department and report to the chief of police.

"We're contracting days just like any other services that we have contracted time," a superintendent-level speaker said when summarizing the operational arrangement; the board also discussed grant possibilities to offset cost, and that grant funds might be split or applied to training and equipment.

City officials plan to advertise the position once the MOU was approved, and interviews were expected before Christmas break. The MOU calls for the SRO to spend at least 75% of their time assigned to district responsibilities; precise start dates are contingent on hiring and training completion.

The motion to approve the sharing agreement passed on a roll call of board members. Board members expressed support for the shared position, describing prior SROs as positive contributors to behavior and attendance work in the district.

What's next: The city will move forward with advertising and interviewing candidates; the board and district staff will finalize payment schedules and grant applications if needed.