The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement to station seven new school resource officers in Norman Public Schools Tuesday.
The new SROs will be Cleveland County sheriff deputies and will be placed at Dimension Academy and six other schools in the district.
The vote followed the Norman Public School board's approval of the contract on Oct. 7, which received a vote of 3-2.
According to Justin Milner, NPS associate superintendent and chief operating officer, the project is estimated to cost $604,800, about $500,000 more than the previous year. Cleveland County Undersheriff Mike Finley said in a press release the sheriff's office can fulfill the agreement despite budget concerns.
According to the release, the agreement guarantees a steady funding source to maintain SRO presence at schools in the district.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that in today’s world, our children require armed school resource officers in their schools,” Cleveland County Commissioner Rusty Grissom said in the press release. “Parents deserve peace of mind that comes with knowing their children are safe in school.”
Commissioner Rod Cleveland said in the press release the agreement is an important step in ensuring the safety of Norman schools.
“This inter-governmental agreement between Norman Public Schools and the Board of County Commissioners is a critical step in ensuring sustainable security in our schools,” Cleveland said in the press release. “We deeply appreciate the dedicated men and women who protect our community daily.”
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure and Ismael Lele. Ryan Little and Grace Rhodes copy edited this story.
