York, Chester, Lancaster County schools to hire more resource officers. Here’s how.
York, Chester and Lancaster County school districts soon will hire more officers to serve campuses.
The S.C. General Assembly is spending more than $11 million to fund 205 new school resource officers for schools across the state, according to a release from the state education department.
“There is no issue more important than the safety and well-being of our students and teachers,” State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said in a prepared statement. “School resource officers are a deterrent to violence within the school building and their training and response to crime is an invaluable asset that allows educators to focus on instruction.”
Each school district will receive funds from the state to hire one to four new officers, depending on the district’s need.
All York County school districts will be able to hire four new officers each, according to the education department.
The Lancaster County School District also will get four new school resource officers and Chester County will hire one new officer.
Adding school resource officers to each school is part of the state’s vision for school safety, according to the release. The General Assembly has also provided $2.2 million to hire more mental health counselors for schools.
Districts across the state are stepping up security in schools following multiple mass shootings, such as those in Parkland, Fla. and Connecticut.
The Rock Hill school district recently announced it would hire private, armed security officers to serve elementary schools that did not have a school resource officer on site.
School resource officers from the Rock Hill Police Department and York County Sheriff’s Office serve middle and high schools in Rock Hill and are assigned to an elementary school. The security officers will work with SROs, according to the district.
Clover school leaders passed in early September a $6.4 million plan for secured entrances at schools. Double barriers will be added to school buildings that do not already have them at entrances, according to the district.
The Clover and Rock Hill school districts also increased security at athletic events.
Earlier this year, Chester County School District leaders came to an agreement with the county and sheriff’s office to increase the number of school resource officers in the district.
Certified officers from the sheriff’s department will serve several schools -- Chester High School, Lewisville High School, Great Falls Middle and High School, Chester Middle, and Lewisville Middle. There were three school resource officers before the agreement, The Herald previously reported.
