The Broward County School Board is slated to pay an additional $40,000 a year for each of its school resource officers (SROs), under a new contract approved by the school board.
The local law enforcement agencies the district hires to guard its campuses have been waiting for eight months to be reimbursed for the work of the district鈥檚 200 SROs, saying negotiations with the school system had "broken down".
鈥淟et me just remind this board that it鈥檚 the school district鈥檚 responsibility to provide a safe schools officer,鈥� said Hollywood Police Chief Chris O鈥橞rien during Tuesday's Broward School Board meeting. 鈥淢unicipalities are happy to be a partner in this. But we just want to be reimbursed a fair share.鈥�
Board members hope the increased reimbursement rate will help mend relationships with local officers and agencies like the Broward Sheriff鈥檚 Office and the cities of Coral Springs, Miramar, Davie and others. Some officers have been warning the district not to take them for granted.
鈥淚f we [...] have people that don't come home, it doesn't matter what else we do. So it's imperative that we figure this out,鈥� said School Board Member Debbi Hixon. 鈥淚t is not just the money 鈥� it's the disrespect that they feel in the process of the negotiations that they've had. So we need to rectify that.鈥�
It鈥檚 a sensitive issue in the district, where five years ago a former student murdered 17 people and injured 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Hixon鈥檚 husband Chris was one of those killed.
The SRO stationed at the school failed to respond to the shooting, and instead for nearly 50 crucial minutes.
In the wake of the 2018 massacre, state lawmakers mandated that every public school must have a . Districts say insufficient state funding has left them in this uncomfortable position of who should pick up the tab.
One of the most outspoken advocates for increasing the reimbursement rates is Parkland City Commissioner Bob Mayersohn, who鈥檚 also president of the .
鈥淣ot that we don鈥檛 want to provide the law enforcement officers, but this is very taxing on cities,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s inflation goes up, costs go up, cities are going to have to make decisions on what to include in their budgets and what to exclude.鈥�
A substantial increase per officer
Under the agreement, Broward County Public Schools will reimburse local agencies at the rate of $103,000 per SRO for this academic year, as well as the next three years. The six figure total is a substantial increase from the previously-agreed upon rate of per officer.
Board members signed off on the $103,000 amount for this year, despite concerns from BCPS鈥� Deputy Superintendent of Operations Judith Marte that the district doesn鈥檛 have the funds in its current budget and will have to cut into other school safety initiatives to cover the cost.
鈥淚t's my responsibility as the person that you have charged with being responsible for your finances 鈥� to express caution,鈥� Marte said.
Beginning next year, Marte says the district will be able to pay $103,000 per officer, as the funding from the district鈥檚 voted-approved will kick in 鈥� though she warned repeatedly that revenue projections for the referendum are just that 鈥� projections.
鈥淭he CFO in me needs to be clear 鈥� if we have an economic downturn that substantially impacts the yield from the referendum, depending on how bad 鈥� that downturn is 鈥� it could be an issue,鈥� Marte said. 鈥淎lthough as we sit here today, it is not. Nor is it expected to be.鈥�
The school board declined the municipalities鈥� request to also pay for supervisors 鈥� one for every seven SROs, which Mayersohn said has been a 鈥渟ticking point鈥� in negotiations. He says now it鈥檚 up to the cities to decide whether to accept the deal or not.
鈥淚t鈥檚 up to each individual municipality to negotiate,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the challenge.鈥�
