Does every school need an SRO?

Dr. Harry Miley presented information at last night's board meeting about School Resource Officers (SRO) and their cost. You can watch his presentation on the YouTube recording after it is posted. (Edit: fast-foward to 29:30 on the timer)

State funding will add four SROs to the Richland 2 schools. How many are there now? 23.

Fifteen elementary schools do not have SROs.

Do they need them?

Do you know what the risk of a student's being killed at school with a gun is? 1:614,000,000.

What will additional SROs cost?

In response to a question from Mr. Manning, Dr. Miley quoted figures of $130,000 for first-year capital costs per SRO, plus $55,000 in operating costs per SRO. That's $180,000 per SRO!!! The District contracts with the Richland County Sheriff's Department for SROs.

Whoa! Where is the padding???

While I'm not in favor of Richland 2 having its own police department (as did a junior college back in Illinois where I lived), it could probably provide an armed, trained, qualified, school security officer for $50,000 and about $10,000 or less in "operating costs".