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Hernando Today

School Resource Officers, Tax Rate Set To Be Finalized Tuesday

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: September 15, 2008

Updated: 09/15/2008 10:34 am

BROOKSVILLE - Despite tightening budgets at both the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and Hernando County School District, the school resource officers at local schools aren't going anywhere.

Well, most of them.

One has already returned to road patrol and others have shifted positions slightly, with a cost-cutting interagency agreement set to be finalized at Tuesday's 7 p.m. school board meeting in Brooksville.

Under the plan, the district will continue to pay the sheriff's office $410,200 for an SRO at the county's four middle schools, alternative school and two K-8 schools - excluding Challenger K-8, where the SRO position has been eliminated and switched to Explorer K-8, due to a lack of arrests.

"We reviewed all arrests and offenses that have occurred at schools for past two years. Challenger (was the lowest), so we transferred," student services director Jim Knight said.

School resource officers investigate infractions on school property and present programs related to law enforcement or social problems for students, parents and the community.

From 2006-08, SROs arrested 734 students at area middle and high schools. Central High School garnered the most arrests with 162, while Challenger K-8 had the least with seven, according to district documents.

The sheriff's office will continue paying for SROs at Hernando County's four public high schools, but will no longer pay for a floating SRO to fill in when others are sick or on vacation.

Also, the sergeant who previously oversaw the SROs has been placed back on road patrol, and all SROs will now respond to the division commander of the area where their assigned school is located.

But no matter what, keeping SROs in local schools is essential, board members said.

"We know there may have to be a little bit of sharing of the SROs due to budget cuts, but the plan presented by staff is workable and we'll go with it," board member Dianne Bonfield said.

"It's a good thing. They are a positive influence on our schools," board chair Sandra Nicholson added.

In other school news

At 6 p.m., the district's final budget hearing will take place, a formality in which board members will finalize a proposed millage rate of 7.78, which will generate $84.4 million in tax revenues at 95 percent collections.

This is nearly 0.29 mills less than this current fiscal year's millage rate of 8.065.

The millage rate is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value. At that rate, a property owner who owns a $150,000 house with a $25,000 homestead exemption will pay $972. Last year, the same homeowner would have paid $1,008, or $36 more.

Excluding transfers, the district's 2008-09 tentative budget is $422.2 million, a decrease of nearly $24.2 million or 5.4 percent less than the current year's budget.

The budget is expected to be tight, with officials having to roll back numbers to the amount spent during the 2006-07 school year.

Officials have said avenues for increased cost savings next year will include examining the district's current transportation routes and policies and assessing all positions to identify which positions could be eliminated to save money.

At a 1 p.m. workshop - also held Tuesday - issues up for discussion include a five-year facilities work plan update for High School "EEE," the new high school set to be built off U.S. 19, and discussion of the district's plan to seek districtwide accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Both the workshop and two meetings will take place in the board room at the district's headquarters, located at 919 N. Broad St. in Brooksville.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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