SRO's: There's a better way
Jefferson County Public Schools has ended its contract with the local police and sheriff departments to directly provide “school resource officers” or SROs. State law mandates that SROs must be present in our schools if funding is available. The School Board is currently planning how the SRO program will be designed and who they will hire. This is good news, since JCPS can put limits and guidelines in place!
The risk is that JCPS might choose to simply duplicate, and ultimately double in size, the previous SRO program. That would look like hiring retired police officers, putting them in uniforms, and arming them with deadly weapons. Having armed, uniformed police officers in schools is bad for all students, and especially students of color! When police are in schools, arrests go up – and they especially go up for Black and brown students. This reinforces the school-to-prison pipeline. And despite the hype, SROs do not make schools safer or prevent mass shootings.
We call on JCPS to develop an SRO program that is centered around restorative practices and restorative justice, and that does not permit deadly weapons within our schools. Further, we call on JCPS to recruit and prioritize hiring teachers and retired teachers, social workers, and mental health professionals whose priority is helping our students and keeping them safe.
Take Action: Contact Your School Board Rep
Click here and scroll down to Find a Board Member. Enter your street address to get your school board member’s name and contact information.
Suggested Email or Call Script
Hi, my name is ___. I am one of your constituents within district [number]. I am also [any connections you have to JCPS, such as: I am a graduate of JCPS, a parent of a current or former JCPS student, a teacher, etc]. I am writing to you about your upcoming work on the School Resource Officer program.
Changing the way that the School Resource Officer program is important to me/my children because…[share your story and concerns]
I am asking you to…
[actively recruit and prioritize the hiring of teachers and former teachers, social workers, and mental health professionals for the School Resource Officer program]
[prohibit SROs from carrying deadly weapons within schools]
Take Action: Attend a School Board meeting or hearing
September 24: The School Board will have a work team meeting to discuss SRO policies. Public speakers are not allowed, but your presence is powerful and you can hold an 8.5x11 inch sign.
Location: Van Hoose Education Center, 3332 Newburg Rd.
Time: 7 PM
October 15: The School Board will vote on policies for the new School Resource Officer program
Location: Van Hoose Education Center, 3332 Newburg Rd.
Time: 7 PM – we recommend arriving 20 minutes early if you’d like to sign up to speak!
Join the Jefferson County KFTC Educational Justice team
Join our next Education Justice Team meeting on Tuesday, October 12 at 2:30 p.m. We will be meeting at the KFTC office, 735 Lampton St. If you can’t make it, click here to join our mailing list and hear about upcoming events and actions!