The Hall County School District, Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Hall County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement on Thursday that will establish additional security around elementary school campuses.
The updated agreement will place additional certified deputies, known as School Safety Officers, to join three others that are currently assigned to elementary schools. The deputies roam all 19 elementary schools in the district.
Each Hall County middle and high school has a full time School Resource Officer on duty.
“The safety and security of our students and staff are at the forefront of everything we do, and this expanded presence of law enforcement at our elementary schools reinforces our dedication to providing a secure and welcoming environment for learning,” Hall County Schools’ Superintendent Will Schofield said in a release.
The SSO assignments are considered extra-duty jobs and compensation for deputies will be shared by the HCSD and HCSO with a 70/30 split. A similar compensation agreement exists for the SRO program at Hall County Schools.
“The deputies’ primary job will be to make sure the school buildings are secure, and safety protocols arebeing followed,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said. “Of course, they’ll interact with students and staff with the goal ofbuilding additional rapport and trust with law enforcement.”
