South Carolina to Fund at Least One School Resource Officer in Every District

South Carolina to Fund at Least One School Resource Officer in Every District

School districts across South Carolina will receive funding to hire one to four new resource officers depending on need.

  • By Sherelle Black
  • October 02, 2019

The South Carolina Department of Education is dedicating millions to securing its districts across the state.

This upcoming fiscal year, the department will allocate more than $11 million toward school resource officers with the goal of having a school resource officer in every school.

“School resource officers are a deterrent to violence within the school building and their training and response to crime is an invaluable asset that allows educators to focus on instruction,” state Superintendent Molly Spearman said in a release.

The $11 million will pay for 205 SROs across the state’s 79 school districts. The amount of funding depends on the need at that particular district. The maximum amount of SRO funding that can be received per district is equivalent to four officers.

Some districts are choosing to use the funding to reimburse themselves like Dorchester District 2, reported The Post and Courier.

“It’s wonderful,” said Allyson Duke, District 2 chief financial officer.

The newspaper reported that each school in the district already has one officer.

Duke said with this new funding, the district has the potential to save $60,000.

The next goal of the Education Department is to tackle safety through the mental health field. The department has set a goal of having at least one mental health counselor in every school, reported The Post and Courier.

About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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