MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — The Martin County Sheriff's Office and school district have tentatively agreed to keep school resource officers (SROs) on campuses.
The announcement was made at a joint news conference held by both sides Friday afternoon.
WATCH BELOW: Martin County School District, sheriff's office announce new 3-year agreement to secure schools
Sheriff John Budensiek said his agency and the school district worked through the night and morning to reach a resolution.
"We'll continue to provide the amount of service that we currently provide," Budensiek said.
The sheriff said there are currently 38 SRO employees, including three supervisors, two corporals and a lieutenant.
There will be two sheriff's deputies at each of the high schools in Martin County.
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Martin County School District Superintendent Michael Maine described the discussions over the last day with the sheriff's office as "thoughtful and collaborative," saying it was an "amicable agreement," also expressing that he was "relieved" that it had been achieved.
"The safety of our students has never been negotiable on either side," Maine said. "The purpose of our discussions was not whether we value student safety but rather how to ensure that we both can sustainably afford the costs associated with providing that safety in a way that is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers that both of us serve."
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Maine said the sheriff's office provides "exceptional service" to the school district and community, saying the SRO deputies on campuses are "more than just a presence" but also "mentors, protectors and trusted partners in education."
This comes after weeks of discussions that heated up Thursday following a tense volley of posts and statements from both sides, stemming from the sheriff's office asking for an additional $2.1 million from the school district to fund the SRO program.
Budensiek said Friday that the two sides previously had "about a million and a half dollar" discrepancy, but were able to "meet in the middle" to get a deal finalized.
The tentative SRO funding deal involves the following:
- School District will pay $4.5 million a year
- Sheriff's Office will pay about $3.5 million, which includes about $800,000 for crossing guards
Under the previous agreement with the sheriff's office, the school district contributed about $3 million to fund the SRO program. Maine said the extra $1.5 million would come from "various places" as they tighten their budget to afford the extra cost.
The sheriff said they will continue to provide the same number of SROs at school, saying that their current number of deputies at schools is "working well."
"We've had a lot of successes this year alone," Budensiek said. "We've had four knives taken out of the schools."
WATCH: Parents happy about decision to keep SROs
WPTV's Cassandra Garcia spoke with parents who have kids in the school district, who were relieved at the decision.
"Feeling good that they’re deciding to keep resource officers," said Meagan Hankin.
“I get that money is a huge thing but the idea of taking something away that is so integral and has been a part of our schools for so long, it’s like why did that even become an option," said Jaimee Neveis.
The sheriff's office said on Thursday that the district had at one point considered non-law enforcement alternatives for school security, as a less expensive option, which raised concerns.
"It’s scary because you don’t know what a private person is going to be capable of versus the sheriff’s department," said Hankin.
The three-year agreement will have to be approved by the school board by the end of June, when the current SRO agreement expires.
The sheriff said there won't be an increase in cost to taxpayers, but instead the deal was a result of both sides "collectively tightening up our belts."
"This moment reaffirms that when we work together, communicate clearly and remain student-focused, we can overcome any challenges in service of a greater mission," Maine said.
