FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Broward County School District and Broward Sheriff's Office have agreed to a school security contract through June 2020.
The district approved a $3.4 million contract with BSO on Tuesday that, along with 13 other agency contracts, guarantees at least one armed school resource officer in all district-run schools, as required by state law, through the end of next school year.
"I am definitely comfortable with the agreement," Broward School Board member Lori Alhadeff said. "We are making sure that we are in compliance with state law that we have one SRO officer or guardian at each school."
The new contract raises wages for BSO school resource officers from $46,000 in 2017 to $54,700 per officer while the new deal takes effect.
"We want to make sure it is the same delivery of service and that there is the same expectation regardless of what city or agency is providing that service," Brian Katz, Broward Schools Chief of Safety and Security, said.
Sheriff Gregory Tony submitted a proposal earlier this year for $180 million.
The proposal was aimed at improving training protocols, communication between schools and implementing process that would enable law enforcement to better monitor potential threats as students move from one school to the next, the proposal read.
School board Superintendent Robert Runcie stated publicly that the cost of that contract was too high, and the district countered the proposal with a deal that would pay officers $54,600 this year and $60,000 in two years, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
The school board and BSO both stated publicly that if the deal was not reached before the fiscal year rolled over on Wednesday, there would've been no interruption in campus security while both sides worked towards a contract.
The new contract with BSO is set to expire in June 2020.