Created:  5 July 2016

Modified: 7 May 2019

Approved: 10 July 2019

Contracts for School Resource Officer Services

A “school resource officer” or “SRO” is a law enforcement officer who contracts with the District to provide law enforcement services for the District or whose law enforcement agency contracts with the District to provide law enforcement services for the District.

Utah Code § 53G-8-701(2) (2019)

Board Approval—

The District may contract with a law enforcement agency or an individual to provide school resource officer services if the Board of Education first reviews and approves the contract.

Utah Code § 53G-8-703(1) (2019)

Required Contract Provisions—

In order to be approved by the Board of Education, a contract for school resource officer services must include:

1. an acknowledgment that an SRO hired under the contract shall:
   1. provide for and maintain a safe, healthy, and productive learning environment in a school;
   2. act as a positive role model to students;
   3. work to create a cooperative, proactive, and problem-solving partnership between law enforcement and the District;
   4. emphasize the use of restorative approaches to address negative behavior; and
   5. at the request of the District, teach a vocational law enforcement class;
2. a description of the shared understanding of the District and the law enforcement agency or individual regarding the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement and the District to:
   1. maintain safe schools;
   2. improve school climate; and
   3. support educational opportunities for students;
3. a designation of student offenses that the SRO shall confer with the District to resolve, including an offense that:
   1. is a minor violation of the law; and
   2. would not violate the law if the offense was committed by an adult;
4. a designation of student offenses that are administrative issues that an SRO shall refer to a school administrator for resolution in accordance with Utah Code § 53G-8-211;
5. a detailed description of the rights of a student under state and federal law with regard to:
   1. searches;
   2. questioning; and
   3. information privacy;
6. a detailed description of:
   1. job duties;
   2. training requirements; and
   3. other expectations of the SRO and school administration in relation to law enforcement at the District;
7. that an SRO who is hired under the contract and the principal at the school where an SRO will be working, or the principal's designee, will jointly complete the SRO training described in Utah Code § 53G-8-702; and
8. if the contract is between the District and a law enforcement agency, that:
   1. both parties agree to jointly discuss SRO applicants; and
   2. the law enforcement agency will accept feedback from the District about an SRO's performance.

Utah Code § 53G-8-703(2) (2019)

In addition to these required provisions, the contract may include such other provisions as are deemed appropriate, so long as those do not conflict with the required provisions.