By summer, Emporia Public Schools will have a School Resource Officer available through a new agreement with the Emporia Police Department.
Board members voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the SRO partnership from July 1 though June 30, 2027 as part of a memorandum of understanding. Once Emporia Police confirms an officer is trained, the SRO will be assigned to either Emporia High or Emporia Middle School and will be a “visible safety presence” while also supporting education events, prevention matters and school safety planning.
USD 253 Director of Human Resources Dr Erica Mickelson says the partnership “helps us strengthen our school safety efforts while building positive relationships between students and law enforcement.” She also says this has been a rather extended conversation for district leadership.
The district currently has three security guards, one for the elementary schools and one each for Emporia Middle School and Emporia High. The plan is to keep the SRO at either Emporia High or Emporia Middle School while having one security guard for the elementary schools. Mickelson says the SRO will be similar to the security officer operation model, but there will be some notable differences — one of which will involve training.
The district will also meet often to review and adjust the program if needed. The officer will also get specialized training in de-escalation, school law and interactions with teenagers and children.
USD 253 says student discipline will still be handled by school administrators, faculty and staff. The SRO will also become involved when situations either need law enforcement or when situations involving safety concerns arise.
Mickelson says there is a chance the district could add more SROs down the road.
