Royal SD to get first school officer

ROYAL CITY — The Royal School District will get its first school resource officer in early 2023.

An agreement from January 2023 through August 2025 was approved by the Royal City City Council at its June 7 meeting; Royal School Board members approved it May 23.

“The expectation would be that the SRO is on campus every day,” Royal SD Superintendent Roger Trail said via email. “They will also be involved in safety training. While the SRO’s office will be at the high school, it is a district-wide position.”

The SRO will be on campus during school hours, Trail said.

Royal City Finance Director Shilo Christensen said city officials have identified a possible candidate for the position.

“We’re in negotiations with an applicant,” Christensen said.

Trail wrote that district officials hope to make the SRO role a permanent position.

“I would see it as a permanently funded position. Our contract with the city is for three years but I would expect it to continue after that and be renewed,” Trail said.

Greg Pike, RSD business manager, said the cost is still to be determined.

“The cost will depend on where (the officer) falls on the pay scale and what kind of benefits package they end up selecting,” Pike said.

“We will essentially pay the salary during the school year and the police department will cover the salary that is outside the school calendar,” Trail wrote.

The SRO is expected to start in early 2023, Pike said.

The officer also will work at some events outside of school hours, Trail said.

“We can either flex the schedule for late nights like games or be additive through overtime. The city has agreed to be flexible with us in that regard,” he wrote.

Adjusting how some other school positions are funded has helped pay for the additions of an SRO. The state changed the way it funded some school positions, Pike said, jobs like counselors and the school nurse.

“Our school nurse has never been funded, at least not fully, by the state,” Pike said.

District officials used money from the district’s locally funded educational programs and operations levy to make up the difference for those jobs, Pike said. Changes in the state’s school funding formula brought in more money for those jobs.

“That will free up some levy funds for the SRO,” Pike said.

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