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Board delays vote on resolution about school resource officers to consult students and refine language
Summary
After a lengthy debate over cluster vs. dedicated SRO models, attendance impacts, and equity concerns, the board postponed formal action on a resolution supporting dedicated School Resource Officers and will consult the Student Advisory Committee before rescheduling.
Board members debated a draft resolution urging reinstatement of dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs) rather than the cluster model used after staffing losses, with proponents saying SROs help maintain safety and critics warning of attendance impacts and equity concerns for certain student groups. The sponsor framed the measure as a balanced statement: "We're saying that they're an important part of our system," the sponsor said in describing a resolution intended to restore dedicated assignments so students can build relationships with officers who are positioned inside schools rather than rotating across multiple campuses.
Opponents and other board members asked staff to get SAC input and to refine the draft language to explicitly limit SROs' role so they do not interfere with student rights or access. Members also asked for further analysis on potential attendance effects and MPD capacity to restore staffing. The board agreed to postpone the item and to bring the resolution back after student consultation and additional drafting.
