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Sarasota schools consider cuts to help pay for SROs on top of $2.4M shortfall

Cuts could range from resource teachers and guidance counselors to cafeteria workers and receptionists.

SARASOTA, Fla. (WTSP) – As budgets for public education dwindle, school districts like Sarasota are forced to consider cuts to help cover the cost of additional school resource officers now required by state law.

At a workshop Tuesday morning, board members weighed the option of cuts from

elementary, middle and high schools as well as the administration building. Outlined cuts ranged from resource teachers and guidance counselors to cafeteria workers and receptionists.

More: County by county: Lawmakers approve school officer funding, but is it enough?

Related: Florida lawmakers stiff schools on safety program funds. Is arming teachers the only option?

Board members pushed back. They said if cuts are necessary, they should come from the administration building and not the classrooms.

The district is currently projecting a budget shortfall ranging between $2 and $3 million, mostly due to the state mandate to add more SROs. That order came after the February 14 massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Money saved from cuts would be coupled with state funds to help offset the cost of additional SROs.

Board members are also weighing SRO proposals from four law enforcement agencies, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Sarasota Police Department, Venice Police Department and North Port police.

Both the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the North Port Police Department are asking the Sarasota County School District to cover 100 percent of the cost of existing and new SROs. The Sarasota asking the district to cover 80 percent of existing SROs and 100 percent of any additions. Venice had the most budget-friendly proposal; that department will cover 50 percent of the cost of existing and new SROs.

Should none of these proposals be satisfactory, the district has the option to create its own police force, and is considering that possibility. Projections show this could cost the district close to $3 million.

Board members said Tuesday they are not ready to decide on an SRO plan. They will approve a budget sometime in May.

Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com.

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