How the Board Came to this Decision
School safety has been on the agenda at a number of Board meetings or work sessions in the past months (and years). At the May 30, 2024, meeting, the Board scheduled a vote about School Resource Officers for their March 27, 2025 meeting. Before this meeting, the Board’s legal counsel advised that the Board had three options:
Postpone the decision Implement a school resource officer model, or Discontinue the process.
During the meeting, the Board initially pursued the option to postpone the decision until May or October. Board members made two motions to delay, but both failed. A third motion was then made to implement a school resource officer model, and it passed 4-2.
Pros and Challenges to the Current Model
With its emphasis on relationships, mental wellness, a strong team of Care and Safety Assistants, and on-call police department support, there is much to celebrate about our current model. However, school and district leaders have observed challenges:
Educators must handle responsibilities traditionally managed by police. Schools rely on available police officers instead of specially selected and trained officers who work onsite to build relationships with school staff, students, and families. School staff face administrative burdens to call, brief, and schedule police when assistance is needed. In a critical situation, a police officer would not already be on site.
Despite efforts to find solutions to these challenges, the challenges persist. Earlier this spring, the Board directed staff to develop an MOU with the police for future consideration, and last night’s vote confirms Board support for developing and implementing this plan.
Statement from School Board
The Board is confident that Dr. Gurley and the working group will develop an MOU that meets the needs of our community. This agreement will address deficiencies in our current practice while establishing a shared understanding of accountability, guardrails, expectations, and transparency.
The agreement must ensure that SROs operate within a framework that supports a positive and inclusive school climate, incorporates restorative justice practices and trauma-informed approaches, prevents criminalization of student behavior, and respects the dignity and developmental needs of all students.
More Information
Following spring break, resources and Frequently Asked Questions will be posted on the division website. The division’s working group will meet next in May.
Thank you for your continued partnership. We hope you all have a good, safe spring break.
--Dr. Gurley and the Charlottesville School Board
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