SARASOTA, Fla. -- School districts are getting creative with meeting the state’s mandate of providing all schools with security. Some are a bit ambitious. That’s the case in Sarasota.
The superintendent and head of security are changing plans once again with time running out, and it’s not sitting well with local law enforcement.
“You are going to have (the schools) staffed with police officers, field-trained and ready to go keep kids safe … that’s my concern. You can commit to me today you will not need us?” said Sarasota Couny Sheriff Tom Knight.
“No, we'll not commit today,” answered Todd Bowden, superintendent for Sarasota Schools.
At a table with North Port and Sarasota police chiefs and city leaders, Bowden backed off his ambitious plan of setting up a school-based police department by the start of school August 13 with officers in every elementary school.
“We’re not going to hire to make sure we hit a head count,” said Bowden.
“We’re not a tool in the toolbox that can be pulled and used when needed. That affects my staffing to the citizens I serve every day,” responded Knight.
Bowden is now asking for help. He asked the sheriff, “Do you have the (school resource deputies) available at the elementary schools?”
Knight replied, “The district has indicated you don’t want them.”
“That is correct,” acknowledged Bowden.
10News asked Bowden at a May 23 school board workshop about Knight’s School Resource Deputy II program the school board approved weeks earlier and had now changed direction.
Bowden said, “I do not have a contract with the sheriff nor intend to have a contract to provide SRD2.”
Yet the school district did not notify the sheriff he was still hiring. As a result of our interview, Bowden notified the sheriff of the district’s change in direction, but the sheriff kept hiring for the SRD2 program.
“Red flags I’ve been seeing for a couple of months,” said Knight. “Even though the superintendent was aggressive with his comments, saying they will not be needing the sheriff’s office services, I answer to the community, not to the superintendent. I will make sure elementary schools are safe.”
10News asked Bowden today if he regretted what he said last month about not needing the sheriff’s help.
“Not at all,” he replied.
The school district plans to hire the chief and sergeants by the end of the week and the first dozen experienced officers by June 18 and the next 12 by early July. But they may not be trained in time.
All three law enforcement agencies have submitted their budgets and say there’s no room to add.
“We’re beyond hiring,” said interim North Port Police Chief Capt. Christopher Morales.
“It’s going to be a huge burden for us,” added Bernadette DiPino, Sarasota police chief.
Still, all three agencies are committed to protecting schools. The superintendent agreed to the sheriff’s recommendation to contract deputies and officers to cover elementary schools for at least six months -- while the district sets up its police department.
Bowden said, “We’re not backing away from that, but the pressure is off of us.”
The sheriff asked all future meetings on school security to be held as a public meeting for transparency.
The district estimates the police department would cost nearly $1.7 million in salaries and $625,000 in equipment plus $250,000 in non-salary expenses.
School Board Chair Bridgett Ziegler says the cost to set up the district’s police department and pay for law enforcement officers to cover elementary schools during the transition period has not been calculated.
The district will continue to use SROs in the middle and high schools until it can hire enough officers to replace them during the 2019-20 school year.
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