DSISD to add more SROs

(Editor’s Note: This post was edited on Wednesday, May 24)

STUDENT SAFETY

DRIPPING SPRINGS — To continue ensuring the safety of its students, Dripping Springs ISD will be adding more school resource officers (SRO) to campuses.

Currently, DSISD has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hays County for four SRO positions that provide law enforcement services for the district. Elementary campuses share an SRO with the middle schools, allowing for law enforcement coverage across the district.

All schools in Hays County have adopted the same emergency response plan, the Standard Response Protocol, which allows for consistency across all school districts. This agreement, “One County One Protocol”, ensures all first responders within Hays County use consistent communications to emergencies on school campuses in an ongoing effort to keep staff and students safe.

“Currently, we have 24 positions for SROs and we have four openings in those positions,” said Hays County Sheriff's Office Capt. Shane Smith. “It all has a chance to change the second somebody decides to resign from any other area in the Law Enforcement Bureau. It can change like that. I believe by June, no later than August, I can probably have the four existing positions filled. I’m not talking about Dripping Springs, I’m talking about all school districts … By the August timeframe, I should be able to do that, should nothing else change manpower-wise with the SROs.”

On May 22, the DSISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the addition of three SROs, through an MOU with HCSO, to provide law enforcement services for all campuses in the district. One additional SRO will be starting in the fall, according to Director of Safety Sirenna Cumberland, and a current supervisor will assist with coverage at the other two elementary schools until additional officers are hired and trained.

"[The county] offered the availability for each school district for as many SROs up to one per campus at that time. DSISD requested one so we created that position. At that time, Wimberley requested one and Hays CISD [requested] three or four,” said Hays County Commissioner Walt Smith, explaining a previous discussion the commissioners had last year about additional SROs. “Historically, as we’ve added SROs to the district here, those have been brought through my office and I create a position and I have to get the other 25%, the personnel, the vehicle and everything else that goes with that. We have never turned down an SRO, a request from the ISD. I’ve never turned it down and I don’t plan on turning it down.”

While the county and HSCO are helping school districts as much as possible, commissioner Smith added that there are challenges with recruiting law enforcement at this time.

Due to the required training and number of available personnel, there is no concrete timeline for when the four open SRO positions will be filled in the county. But Captain Smith hopes to fill them by August, assuming there are no resignations or other personnel changes.

The board also approved the proposed general pay increase of 3% for current teaching, auxiliary, clerical/technical and administrative/professional staff, to take effect beginning July 1.

“What we are looking at is bringing y’all [the board] back a compensation plan next month that has a lot more strategic compensation above and beyond, so you’ll see bus drivers and other pay moves that are outside 3% but that 3% is a general pay increase across the board for our staff,” said Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz.