Urbana SRO Expansion Update

In a follow up to a previous Cheat Sheet post about a preliminary approval by Urbana schools District 116 to expand their Student Resource Officer program, there was local coverage a couple weeks ago worth pointing out. As with most government bodies, there are often numerous steps between a policy getting proposed to a final approval. Idealists may believe this helps ensure transparency and accountability by giving voters time to get involved, or at least avoid being blindsided by some sudden change. Cynics probably see it as numerous points for politics and horsetrading of favors. Perhaps a little of both.

WILL had an overview of the debate and approval in the December school board meeting:

During their Tuesday evening meeting, the Urbana School District 116 Board of Education reaffirmed its decision to hire two full-time school resource officers (SRO), including one each for Urbana Middle and High Schools.

District 116 Board member Peggy Patten asked the board to consider reducing that number to one full-time resource officer. The board previously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the city to hire the two officers. Since 1993, the district has had one part-time officer who divided their time between detective duties and as a school resource officer at both buildings...

But no board member who had previously approved the intergovernmental agreement took Patten up on her offer to reconsider. She also attempted to pass an amendment that would require SROs to conceal their guns while on duty. That measure also failed...

More than a dozen people spoke during the public comment portion of meeting, and most supported hiring two full-time officers. Those who didn’t feared that the officers would make students, particularly those who are marginalized, feel unsafe while at school. They also worried that the presence of the officers would lead to an increase in student arrests.

More details about the various perspectives and arguments at the full article here. The News-Gazette also had coverage and highlighted some additional details:

The board voted 6-0 in favor of the agreement and rejected an amendment to conceal the officers’ guns by a vote of 4-2. Board member Ruth Ann Fisher wasn’t present.

The board had voted 4-3 in November to approve the agreement, but the city council amended it earlier this month to add an annual review of the program, so the school board needed to vote on it again...

While the city has been covering most of the costs right now, with the intergovernmental agreement, it would pay a one-time cost of $103,813, while the school district would pay $321,300 annually for the officers.

Under the agreement, the officers will handle criminal matters but won’t enforce school regulations.

More at that full article here. For an overview of violence issues at Urbana Schools, this Cheat Sheet post has a lot of information, links to data and news coverage of recent incidents.