Tomball ISD will now have 16 student resource officers on its campuses during the 2022-23 school year after Tomball City Council members unanimously approved an amendment to its interlocal agreement with the district at its Sept. 19 meeting, which previously included a plan to phase in more officer positions by 15 officers in the 2024-25 school year.

“Tomball ISD is always looking at ways to enhance safety and security within our schools,” TISD Chief Operating Officer Steven Gutierrez said in an email. “The request to expand our SRO numbers beyond our previous request was made to help accommodate our growth and our expectations as a district to keep safety at the forefront.”

Through the updated agreement between the city and the district, the city will provide 16 SROs this year—two of which are 100% paid for by the city and one of which is 100% paid for by the district. This is one more officer than the entities planned for in the entirety of the previous agreement, which extended through 2024-25. The district will also pay 75% of the salaries and benefits of the 13 existing SROs.

In the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, the district will move to pay 75% of the salaries and benefits of 15 SROs and 100% of the salaries and benefits of one SRO, according to the agreement.

“Our partnership with the Tomball Police Department continues to remain strong, and we are fortunate to have a trusted, working relationship,” Gutierrez said. “Our school resource officers ensure that we are maintaining safe and secure environments for our students and staff to learn, grow and achieve at high levels.”

To improve safety, TISD also previously allocated $3.4 million from its 2021 bond package to upgrade security barriers and electronics, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.