STANFORD, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Lincoln County Board of Education approved the addition of three more school resource officers on Monday at the urging of the district's superintendent.
This comes after parents called on the district to improve its safety protocols following the discovery that an elementary student brought a firearm to school in mid-August.
The district previously had four SROs in the district covering seven schools. This change is set to result in having one officer dedicated for every school.
"We hear you and we are listening," superintended Bruce Smith assured parents at Thursday's school board meeting.
“School safety was one of my top priorities coming into this position back in July, and I’m thankful our board feels the same way and together we are working toward making our schools safer by making this decision today,” he added in a district social media post on Monday.
The district contracts its SROs through the Stanford Police Department. The police department will be responsible for hiring the new officers.
Stanford Police Chief Zach Middleton explained the importance of having the officers based at each school.
"We are a resource not just for the safety and protection of our students and staff but also as a resource to them in many different ways, trying to foster a good environment and create those relationships," Middleton said.
The total cost of the entire team of SROs, according to the district, will be around $320,000 per year. At Monday's meeting, the board of education discussed the need to rework its budget to absorb the extra cost.
The step also puts the district in compliance with House Bill 63, which requires at least one SRO be placed at every school in the state. If schools are unable to comply, they must work out another approved option with the state's school safety marshal.
As of the state's 2022-23 school safety report, only 51% of schools in the state have a dedicated officer. That's still an increase of roughly 33% from the year before.
Parents applauded the district's decision on social media.
Kayla Snyder, who called on the district to make security changes last week, said it is a step in the right direction.
"Seeing Lincoln County make these changes will hopefully make the counties that surround us make that decision as well to ensure that all children in school are safe as well," she said.
Last Thursday, the superintendent also added that he supported individual schools in the district implementing a no-backpack or clear-backpack policy.
