Othello council approves school resource officer contract

OTHELLO — The Othello Police Department will continue to provide two school resource officers to the Othello School District. The Othello City Council unanimously approved a contract with the district for SRO services at the regular council meeting Monday.

“One (SRO) position has been there for approximately seven years,” Othello Police Chief Phil Schenck said. “The second is in response to a Department of Justice grant. This (memorandum of understanding) funds 50% of the SRO at the current salary.”

The council approved the contract the same day four Othello schools were put on a modified lockdown. A student at Othello High School allegedly made a threat against McFarland Middle School on social media; people who saw the posts contacted school authorities.

The contract will be in effect through the end of the 2023-24 school year.

Schenck said during the meeting that the district and the city split the cost of SRO services.

The second position is funded through the DOJ grant through the end of the 2023-24 school year, he said.

The contract ends at the same time the DOJ grant runs out, and Schenck said city officials plan to combine the two positions in any following contract.

Under the contract, the district will pay $52,132 to the city for SRO salary and benefits in 2022. Schenck said he included a 3% increase for 2023; the cost to the district will be $54,739. The contract also covers the first eight months of 2024, and the district will pay $38,317.

Schenck said the benefits expenses make up about 30% of the salary and benefits costs.

Council members also approved a second MOU with the school district for OPD officers to be among the instructors for a law and justice class at Othello High School.

“In this contract, the school district agrees to pay us $75 per day for instruction,” Schenck said. “None of that goes into the department, it is a general fund (revenue).”

Schenck and OPD officers have been teaching the class for about four years, he said.

Part of the money is used to fund scholarships given to Othello seniors by the police department. The council approved, and the OPD awarded, four $1,000 scholarships to the class of 2022, two more than in previous years.

Schenck announced that school security, and current OPD and district security practices, will be the subject of a presentation at the June 13 Othello School Board meeting. The board meets at 7 p.m. in the boardroom in the district office, 1025 First Ave.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.