The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Dist. U-46 Board approves four separate SRO pacts

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 approved of contract renewals with four municipalities to provide school resource officers (SRO) at secondary schools at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 5.
  The vote was 5-0, board members Samreen Khan and Melissa Owens were absent.
  The total cost of the contracts is $1.2 million which will be paid from the tort fund. It includes seven SROs from the City of Elgin ($82,629 salaries for $578,402 total; $72 overtime rate), three from the Village of Streamwood ($94,841 salaries for $284,524 total; $82.07 overtime) and two each from the villages of Bartlett ($77,704 salaries for $155,408 total; $56.04 overtime) and South Elgin ($114,763 salaries for $229,525 total; $80.59 overtime).
  “The approval of these four contracts will provide six officers in the high schools and eight officers in the middle schools,” the proposal stated. “The goal of the program is to create a safe school environment, while providing a law enforcement resource to school administrators, teachers, students and parents. The School Resource Officer will not enforce school rules, policy or discipline, but instead will serve the recommended TRIAD roles of: 1) Law Enforcement; 2) Teacher; and, 3) Informal Counselor/Mentor.”
  The proposal added: “School Resource Officers will support and participate in violence prevention activities and enhance student voice and leadership in school safety and violence prevention. The School Resource Officer will partake in the mandated safety drill compliance, to include, three evacuation drills (one observed by the respective fire department), one severe weather drill, and one law enforcement observed Run-Hide-Fight drill, per the Illinois School Safety Drill Act 105 ILCS 128. The district will also provide professional development in crisis prevention, student special needs awareness in autism and special education and training in adverse consequences of school exclusion and the justice system.”
  The contracts are effective from Aug. 13, 2024 to June 5, 2025. The cost is 7.5 percent higher from the 2023-2024 school year.
  “School Resource Officers will continue to be a valuable resource to administration, teachers, students, and parents,” the proposal states. “School Resource Officers will mentor and make positive relationships with students that will build trust and an understanding between one another. School Resource Officers will ensure that school buildings are a safe and welcoming environment for school district employees, students, parents, and visitors.”