This resolution was approved following discussion from Cibolo City Council regarding the cost of returning five SRO positions to the Cibolo Police Department Patrol Division.
The background
Since 2011, the cities of Schertz and Cibolo have had interlocal agreements with SCUCISD to provide city police officers to school campuses.
The city of Cibolo is working to expand its police department and potentially have an officer for each geographic area in the city, council member T.G. Benson said during an April 9 meeting.
On April 9, Cibolo City Council held a discussion to return the officers who are part of the SRO program back to the city of Cibolo, allowing the city to have more police coverage.
While council did not take action on the item, the topic will be brought back to council on May 14.
According to the May 14 agenda document, the financial impact to the city of Cibolo for shifting five SROs would be $495,000.
What else?
Under House Bill 3, which went into effect Sept. 1, school districts are required to have one armed security officer present at each district campus during regular school hours.
The SCUCISD board of trustees met in a special meeting May 8 to approve a resolution supporting the interlocal agreement between the school district and the cities of Schertz and Cibolo.
Board President Ed Finley said the district provides 72% of the financing for SROs, while Cibolo provides 28% of the financing for SROs at campuses in Cibolo. Finley said these numbers fluctuate depending on different factors.
During the May 8 meeting, trustees said one of the benefits of having an officer on campus is that they know the staff and students on each campus, and have the capabilities of providing safety to students and staff.
“The district firmly believes that the presence of local law enforcement officers plays a pivotal role in ensuring the utmost safety for both students and staff within our educational community,” trustee Amy Thomas said.
What’s next?
On May 14, Cibolo City Council will continue the SRO discussion with the possibility of taking action on the item.
