Stafford Schools, City Agree On Funding Resource Officers

STAFFORD, TX – Stafford Municipal School District will continue to have security provided by the Stafford Police Department, school district officials said Friday. School district trustees met Thursday night and came to an agreement with city leaders to provide three officers for 2018-2019.

The move comes after a July 25 council meeting, when the council members voted 6-1 to not fund the three officers for the school district. It was a move that left school board members "shocked and saddened," while city leaders were perplexed why the district was unwilling to pay $185,000 for three officers when it has an operating budget of $30 million.

"We will do whatever it takes to keep our students and our community safe," district officials said in a press release on Friday.

School and city officials have not disclosed the amount the district will pay the city for the officers. The agreement is expected to be approved before the start of school on Aug. 15.

The district has had two resource officers provided by the city at no cost throughout its 37 year history. Shortly after the school shooting at nearby Santa Fe High School, Stafford Superintendent Robert Bostic requested a third officer be added to the program.

For several month's city and school leaders worked to hammer out a new agreement. Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella said he thought an agreement with the district was almost a done deal.

Apparently, there had never been an official agreement in place between the city and school district. According to the Texas Government Code the city and the school must have an agreement in place to give jurisdiction to the police officers on campus. The code also states that services provided by the city to another government entity must be reimbursed.

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Image: James Payton Potter/Patch

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