Guilford County Board Plans $4.445M Three-Year Agreement Funding 16 SROs

Guilford County leaders are preparing to approve a $4,445,013 interlocal agreement to fund 16 School Resource Officers and supervisory support in public school buildings, a contract that is retroactive to July 1, 2025 and runs through June 30, 2028. County staff warned in agenda materials that rising salary and personnel costs have driven the increase in expenses even as the county maintains its long-standing role in placing deputies in schools.

The proposed interlocal agreement between the county and the Guilford County Board of Education would cover 16 School Resource Officers along with supervisory support over a three-year period, according to reporting by Scott D. Yost of The Rhino Times. The Rhino Times article notes the total contract amount as $4,445,013 and says the contract will be retroactive to July 1, 2025 and run through June 30, 2028.

County staff cited higher pay and personnel-related costs in the agenda materials used to justify the new dollar figure. "Guilford County staff noted in agenda materials that the cost of providing the officers has increased in recent years due to salary adjustments and other personnel-related expenses," the Rhino Times reported, framing the budget drivers that commissioners will weigh against other county demands.

The agreement preserves the historical cost-sharing practice between the county and the school system while formally locking in the number of deputies assigned. "In Guilford County, SRO funding has historically been a shared responsibility between the county and the school system. This new agreement maintains that cost-sharing structure while locking in the number of deputies assigned under the contract," the Rhino Times article states, while also noting that the school system "reimburses a significant portion of the cost" and the county is expected to absorb a shortfall estimated at roughly $200,000 over the life of the agreement.

The funding discussion comes amid competing fiscal pressures at both governing bodies. "The discussion comes as both boards continue to navigate broader budget pressures. The Board of Education has repeatedly asked the county for additional funding to address teacher pay, staffing shortages and facility needs. [...] At the same time, the county commissioners are weighing major capital projects and rising operational costs," the Rhino Times reported, capturing the context in which commissioners must decide whether to preserve existing SRO placements.

Supporters of the SRO program remain a cited rationale for the expenditure. "Supporters of School Resource Officers often argue that the presence of uniformed deputies in schools provides a visible deterrent to violence and it ensures rapid response in the event of a crisis," the Rhino Times noted. The article also recorded a characterization of county behavior: "In recent years, the Board of Commissioners has been very, very generous when it comes to funding the schools and putting big school bonds on the ballot," a line included in the reporting.

The Rhino Times said commissioners were expected to consider the agreement at their Thursday, Feb. 19 meeting; the reporting to date does not specify the vote outcome, the exact reimbursement split, the identity of the law enforcement agency providing deputies, or the number and cost of supervisors included in the supervisory support language.