Portageville voters asked to approve funding for school resource officer

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — On Tuesday, a special election in Portageville will decide if Portageville Public Schools will utilize security resource officers.

In 2018, voters in Portageville approved a quarter-cent sales tax to help fund a school resource officer for Portageville schools. However, a state statute didn’t allow fourth class cities to ask for a quarter-cent sales tax for public safety.

Representative Don Rone and State Senator Doug Libla proposed a bill that passed both houses in Jefferson City in May with an emergency rider attached to allow fourth class cities to ask for a quarter-cent sales tax for public safety. Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed the bill.

So Tuesday, voters will once again vote on a quarter-cent sales tax to help provide revenue for a security resource officer for Portageville Schools.

In a memorandum of understanding between the Portageville City Council and Portageville Public Schools, it says the City of Portageville will:

A) Provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) for the School for the school year 2019-2020. The SRO shall be a certified police officer in the State of Missouri and shall be a member of the City’s police department under the supervision of the City’s Chief of Police and shall be subject to the policies and rules of the City’s police department and City employees.

B) Pay the SRO no less than $32,822.40 annually ($15.78 per hour) plus normal benefits as a City employee, payable at the same time and in the same manner as other City employees.

C) Provide for up to $1,000 for training of the SRO.

D) Provide uniforms and a working police radio to the SRO.

E) The SRO will cover all School extra-curricular activities requested by the School. For covering extra-curricular activities, the City shall pay the SRO the sum of $2,300 per year.

The School shall pay the City the sum of $1,800 per year as partial reimbursement of the expense of covering extra-curricular activities.

It also adds the school will:

A) Provide the SRO with a vehicle. School will pay all fuel and maintenance expenses for the vehicle.

B) Pay up to $2,000 for expenses and materials for the 51h grade D.A.R.E. Program.

There is also a mutual understanding between the City and schools that the SRO is a member of the City’s Police Department and may, from time to time, be required to leave the school premises in an emergency situation to assist the City’s police department or other law enforcement agencies.

The SRO will be chosen by the City after consultation with the School and the position will continue through the end of the summer school session of 2020.

A School Resource Officer is defined as a sworn officer assigned to a school on a long-term basis trained to perform three major roles: law enforcement officer, law-related counselor and law-related educator.

In addition, the officer works in collaboration with the school and the community as a resource for safety and security issues. The SRO will also teach the D.A.R.E. program to students.