Sheriff says commissioners denied funding for new SRO; levy funds remain dedicated

Sheriff Morgan Ballis told trustees July 21 that county commissioners did not approve a proposed full‑time school resource officer (SRO) position the sheriff’s office had sought to station primarily at Kerry School.

Ballis said levy funds had been earmarked to cover roughly 70% of the salary and benefits for the proposed SRO and that a newly formed Blaine County Law Enforcement Foundation had pledged an additional $30,000 toward the position for two years. “Those funds don’t go away,” Ballis said, but commissioners still declined to add the FTE for the coming fiscal year. He described ongoing conversations with commissioners and said the sheriff’s office will continue to seek grant and donor options and urged trustees to engage with county leaders to help secure the position.

Trustees and the sheriff discussed concerns about response times and the equity gap for smaller schools (Belleview, Kerry, Hemingway STEAM) that currently lack SRO resources and the training integration SROs provide. Ballis said the department remains committed to finding a path forward and would pursue external grants if delaying the hire made that option feasible.