Supervisors approve standing SRO agreements; county to absorb near‑term raise but warns districts on future cost increases

The Pottawatomie County Board of Supervisors agreed to approve the county’s school resource officer (SRO) agreements for the 2024–25 school year and to sign them once one remaining district completes its signature. Board members debated how to handle recent pay increases for SROs and whether school districts should be billed for the higher salary costs.

Steve Winchell, chief deputy sheriff, told the Board four of five school districts had already placed the agreement on their July agendas and signed; one district was expected to sign at its meeting the next day. Winchell and other staff said they sent agreements in June and were waiting for the final signature before presenting them for Board ratification.

Board discussion centered on a recent 3.25% pay increase for an SRO and the county’s long history of absorbing staffing costs for positions that also serve the schools. Winchell said a salary raise for an SRO would increase each district’s share by roughly $650 (calculation based on a $20,000 per‑district contribution), and he recommended the districts cover any additional costs. “If there’s additional costs, the districts need to cover that,” Winchell told the Board.

Several supervisors noted that SROs also perform county duties (SWAT, training and other assignments) outside school hours and during summer months; one supervisor said the county would be willing to absorb the increase for the coming year but asked that schools be made aware that future raises may require higher invoices. The Board voted to approve the agreements as standing for this year and to sign once the missing district finalizes its approval.

Action taken: Board approved standing SRO agreements and indicated the county will absorb the current incremental cost this year; the Board recorded a motion in favor and vote passed. Supervisors asked staff to inform school districts that they may face higher cost allocations in future years if salaries continue to rise.

Why it matters: SROs are jointly funded public safety positions. The county and multiple districts share costs; supervisors emphasized the need for districts to anticipate salary increases because the county faces budgetary impacts when personnel costs rise.