Delaware County: Number of deputies serving as SROs likely to rise in 2023-24
The Delaware County Sheriff's Office has 11 school resource officers in local public schools, a number that's likely to increase in 2023-24.
Chief Deputy Dave Wiseman of the sheriff's office briefed the Delaware County commissioners on the status of the program when commissioners on May 16 approved resource-officer intergovernmental agreements with the school districts.
Wiseman said Big Walnut Local Schools and the Delaware Area Career Center have one officer each, Buckeye Valley Local Schools has two and Olentangy Schools has seven – one each for its four high schools and three covering middle and elementary buildings.
Olentangy and the sheriff's office have discussed a possible increase in the district's resource officers when the new Berlin Middle School opens in August 2023, Wiseman told the commissioners.
The new building will be the district's sixth middle school, built on 45 acres along Piatt Road, south of Olentangy Berlin High School, in Berlin Township.
Amanda Beeman, Olentangy’s assistant director of communications, declined to speculate on the number of officers that might be added when the new school opens.
"Our goal is to have an SRO assigned to every high school and middle school, with the middle school positions having concurrent responsibility for the elementary schools, as well," she said.
The officers play an important role in the schools, said Joe Suozzi, Olentangy’s director of safety, security and preparedness.
“School resource officers act in the role of mentor, informal counselor and law-enforcement professional in our schools,” he said. “We believe our SROs create a positive learning environment where our teachers feel safe to teach and our students feel safe to learn.”
Beeman said the new school should hold about 1,000 students.
"However, the initial enrollment size of the school has not been determined. The redistricting process for Berlin Middle School will begin late this summer," she said.
The school was made possible by voter approval in 2020 of a combined $134.7 million bond issue, a 0.5-mill permanent-improvements levy and a 7.4-mill operating levy.
Cost estimates have increased in the past few years, Beeman said.
"The estimated building cost for this middle school was $46 million in 2019. (Facilities director Jeff) Gordon presented an update at the June 10, 2021, meeting that the actual building cost in 2021 was estimated at $48 million," she said.
Wiseman said the commissioners' May 16 resolution was a renewal of three-year contracts set to expire June 30.
"There were increases in the area of wages and insurance,” Wiseman said. “Wages because of an increase of deputy wages from the collective-bargaining agreement and insurance with the cost being higher.”
Under the agreements, the county and school districts agree to split the annual cost of each officer, he said, adding that annual wages and benefits average $129,990 for each officer.
County commissioner Barb Lewis on May 16 called the school resource officers an important program.
"The SROs just do a wonderful job, and I always hear great things,” she said. “You know, (a) calming influence and for the students, too, the questions they can ask and the help that they can get.”
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Delaware County: Number of deputies as SROs likely to rise in 2023-24
