- April 28, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Flagler Schools expects to pay $878,201 for school resource deputies and crossing guards in the 2021-2022 school year. The amount is an increase of 3.14% over the current school year.
Flagler County School Board members discussed the district's proposed contract with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office during a board workshop on June 1, and will vote on the contract at an upcoming board meeting.
In previous years, the high cost of law enforcement contracted through the Sheriff's Office had prompted board members to consider other options, such as arming school staff members through the state's school guardians program. But no board members proposed such an action at the June 1 meeting.
"Don’t really love spending the money this way, but it is what it is right now," School Board member Colleen Conklin said at the workshop. "But we appreciate the partnership for sure, and our SRDs [school resource deputies] are a part of the fabric of the entire district, so they are part of the Flagler family." She added, "Great relationships being built with kids, too — which is really important."
Aside from the cost increase, the contract has changed little from previous years. Of the total $878,201, a total of $106,427 is for school crossing guards.
It includes some added language to align with a new state law that requires the district to notify the state's Office of Safe Schools within 72 hours if a school resource deputy is disciplined, dismissed or discharges a firearm in accordance with their duties. Under the proposed new contact, the Sheriff's Office must make the district aware of any such instances that the district wouldn't' already know about.
