Stafford council delays final approval of interlocal with school district amid dispute over SRO training costs
November 05, 2025 | Stafford, Fort Bend County, Texas
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Council members reviewed an updated interlocal agreement with the Stafford Municipal School District for school‑based law enforcement services and deferred final approval while staff and the district’s attorney iron out language about who must pay for school‑specific training.
City staff said the draft agreement states the district will pay up to $6,000 this school year toward required school‑based training for officers assigned to campuses, but that the draft also contains language suggesting the city and district would split such training costs in the next school year. Stafford’s police chief told council that, in his view, training that is specific to school‑based law enforcement should be borne by the district because officers would not be required to take those classes if they were not assigned to school campuses. He said the $6,000 figure is intended to cover training for all SROs in a given year, not a per‑officer fee.
Council members also flagged a drafting error in the packet where the contract text printed "Stafford" instead of the school district in one paragraph; city attorneys said the redline will be corrected and the school district attorney will review the corrected draft. Staff recommended that council provide direction on desired language and have the city and district attorneys complete revisions, then return the agreement to each governing body for final signature.
No final action was taken. Council directed staff and the city attorney to revise the draft to clarify that school‑specific training obligations are the district’s responsibility where appropriate, confirm which required training remains the city’s obligation, and provide a corrected redline for the school board and council to sign.
The discussion included operational details: where officers travel for courses (San Marcos/Texas State University and regional instructor arrangements), use of school or city vehicles to attend training, and the current funding arrangements for 2025 training.
City staff said the draft agreement states the district will pay up to $6,000 this school year toward required school‑based training for officers assigned to campuses, but that the draft also contains language suggesting the city and district would split such training costs in the next school year. Stafford’s police chief told council that, in his view, training that is specific to school‑based law enforcement should be borne by the district because officers would not be required to take those classes if they were not assigned to school campuses. He said the $6,000 figure is intended to cover training for all SROs in a given year, not a per‑officer fee.
Council members also flagged a drafting error in the packet where the contract text printed "Stafford" instead of the school district in one paragraph; city attorneys said the redline will be corrected and the school district attorney will review the corrected draft. Staff recommended that council provide direction on desired language and have the city and district attorneys complete revisions, then return the agreement to each governing body for final signature.
No final action was taken. Council directed staff and the city attorney to revise the draft to clarify that school‑specific training obligations are the district’s responsibility where appropriate, confirm which required training remains the city’s obligation, and provide a corrected redline for the school board and council to sign.
The discussion included operational details: where officers travel for courses (San Marcos/Texas State University and regional instructor arrangements), use of school or city vehicles to attend training, and the current funding arrangements for 2025 training.
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