Local schools receive funding for school resource officers

IDAHO — Nearly two dozen school districts and charter schools will be receiving grant funding for school resource officers after the Idaho Legislature announced a second round of grants.

Among the local school districts and charter schools receiving funding are Alturas Preparatory Academy and Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25.

A press release says the funding has been made available through the state’s Millennium Fund and will be administered by the Idaho Department of Education. The grants will fund SROs for three years.

“This funding means that additional districts and charters will receive resources to support a position that brings valuable peace of mind to parents, staff and students,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield in the press release. “Whether our SROs are reinforcing security efforts, being another positive role model or serving as a trusted adult for students, their presence benefits our school communities in so many positive ways.”

The principal of Alturas Preparatory Academy says having an SRO will be a benefit to the school.

“We are hopeful that having an SRO on campus will enhance our school culture by providing a trusted presence who can engage with students in meaningful conversations about the many challenges youth face today,” said Alturas Preparatory Academy Principal Reece Drkula. “From digital safety and peer pressure to mental health and community responsibility, we see this partnership as a proactive way to support student well-being and foster a safer, more informed school environment.”

Schools in Pocatello have had SROs for years, but this grant will also bring officers to Chubbuck’s schools.

“We have seen phenomenal support in partnership in helping students in our Pocatello area, so we wanted to replicate that in our Chubbuck area,” said Tonya Wilkes, the Director of Student Services for the Pocatello-Chubbuck school district. “It helps (officers) build a relationship with the D.A.R.E Program and by the time (the students) get to high school, (they) remember them and know them.”

According to the press release, the grants will provide funding for 12 law enforcement agencies across the state to bring SROs into charter schools and school districts for the first time.