To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Jack Cauley, Chief of Police
Title
Resolution Approving the Execution of the First Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement Between Douglas County School District Re-1 and the Town of Castle Rock Regarding the Sharing of Costs for Providing Police Officers to Act as School Resource Officers
Body
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Executive Summary
The safety and security of our student population in Castle Rock is top of mind for many within our community. No community is immune from the possibility of senseless acts of violence or other safety-related incidents, which have occurred at schools across the country including in our state and county. In Castle Rock, we have implemented a solid foundation of precautionary measures and best practices within the schools to keep students, professional staff and visitors as safe as possible. School Resource Officers are a key component to our safety strategy.
Douglas County School District (DCSD) has requested two full-time School Resource Officer’s (SROs) be assigned to their school district. Currently, DCSD participates in the School Resource Officer program and pay 50% of the total cost, in a current two-year IGA. DCSD would like to add two fully funded SROs for the 2024-2025 school year.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
Douglas County School District (DCSD) has requested the addition of two SROs to the Castle Rock Police Department SRO team. Douglas County School SROs are dedicated to fostering a safe and conducive learning environment. In alignment with this commitment, DCSD will fully fund two (2) School Resource Officers (SROs) for Douglas County School SRO, covering all startup costs for the initial year. Each SRO will receive substantial funding, with DCSD providing $145,887.77 per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE), totaling $291,775.54 for salary and benefits. Additionally, each FTE will receive $125,000 for startup costs, culminating in a total of $250,000 allocated for this purpose. Consequently, DCSD's total contributions for two SROs, inclusive of startup costs for the first year, will amount to $541,775.54. The integration of these two new SROs and the accompanying funding will be seamlessly incorporated into the current Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for approval, reinforcing the commitment to safety and security within Douglas County School SRO's educational community. The amended IGA would begin in July of 2024 and would cover the 2024-2025 school year. After year one, the agreement will be evaluated for terms going forward
History of Past Town Council, Boards & Commissions, or Other Discussions
School Marshal Officer (SMO) Program In 2012, as the result of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Castle Rock Police collaborated with the Douglas County School District in the development and implementation of the School Marshal Officer (SMO) program. These two (2) officers were assigned to the elementary and alternative schools within Castle Rock to provide additional security as well as student mentoring. Eventually, the SMO program transitioned into the School Resource Officer (SRO) program outlined below.
Discussion
School Resource Officer (SRO) Program
Castle Rock Police Department and the Douglas County School District collaborate to ensure safe and secure environments for students, professional staff, and visitors. Presently, Castle Rock PD operates under an agreement with the Douglas County school district to provide six full-time School Resource Officers (SROs). Castle View High School, Castle Rock Middle School, and Mesa Middle School each benefit from having a dedicated SRO.
The SRO program also allocates two School Resource Officers to cover the remaining 15 additional schools within the Town. These schools include Castle Rock Elementary, Clear Sky Elementary, Flagstone Elementary, Meadow View Elementary, Rock Ridge Elementary, Sage Canyon Elementary, Soaring Hawk Elementary, South Ridge Elementary, Renaissance Elementary Magnet, Early Childhood Center South, Cloverleaf Elementary, Academy Charter, DC Oakes High School, Renaissance Secondary, and World Compass Academy. The remaining SRO of the six is a dedicated sergeant who supervises the SRO team.
In 2023, the Town approved Aspen View Academy (AVA) to independently fund an SRO, who now serves AVA full-time.
In March of 2024, the Town approved World Compass Academy (WCA) to independently fund an SRO, who will serve WCA starting in the 2024-2025 school year. With the addition of AVA and WCA, the SRO unit will be comprised of seven full-time SROs and one SRO Sergeant.
The Douglas County School District contributes fifty percent (50%) of the total SRO program costs, excluding AVA and WCA.
Budget Impact
The impact to the budget would be net zero because DCSD will fully reimburse the cost of the School Resource Officer (including all benefits), vehicle and all necessary equipment. The estimated cost for these fully-funded positions at year one would be $541,775.54.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the Resolution.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the Resolution as introduced by title.”
Attachments
Attachment A: Resolution
Attachment B: Amendment Agreement