In a recent all-staff email, Superintendent Dawn Wallace of the Ohio Valley School District quickly quashed rumors that the district plans to discontinue its School Resource Officer (SRO) program. The clarification comes amid growing concerns over how the program will be funded moving forward.
A School Resource Officer (SRO) program places trained law enforcement officers within schools to enhance safety, provide security, and foster relationships between students, staff, and the police. SROs perform a variety of roles, including mentoring and educating students on topics related to law and safety, while also responding to incidents within the school. In our communication with Mrs. Wallace she refers to the SROs as the “frontline of defense” for the schools.
According to the superintendent’s email, the district is actively exploring “new, alternative, or rejuvenated funding sources” to support the SRO program, rather than phasing it out. “We are trying to be fiscally responsible,” Wallace wrote, underscoring the district’s commitment to maintaining high safety standards without compromising the valued presence of SROs in schools.
The email also highlighted a meeting where they reaffirmed their dedication to the safety and well-being of students and staff throughout the district. Staff members were encouraged to express their appreciation to their SROs, signaling strong institutional support for the program despite the financial recalibrations.
This development has raised questions about the specifics of potential funding adjustments and the future role of SROs in the district. In response, The Informer reached out to Superintendent Wallace seeking detailed comments on the district’s plans and the strategies it intends to employ to sustain the program. Mrs. Wallace promptly responded by explaining that the district believed it had secured alternative funding for the SRO program. This belief triggered the issuance of non-renewal notices to some of the SROs employed by the district. Mrs. Wallace further elaborated that the “funding source does not appear to be secure, so we will be pulling those non-renewals from the agenda.”
The potential recommendation for non-renewal of some of the district’s SROs was the initial cause of the rumors that spread around the county late last week. However, according to Superintendent Wallace, these recommendations have been removed from the agenda for the April 22nd board meeting.
