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WS/FC School Board Reduces SRO Budget, Approves New Contracts

This map shows different sites where SROs will be located in Forsyth County. Screenshot: KERI BROWN, courtesy of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education approved three security contracts for the new school year during its meeting on Tuesday night. Those include agreements with local law enforcement agencies to provide school resource officers.

Superintendent Angela Hairston recommended that the Board approve SRO contracts with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and the Kernersville Police Department. The measure passed with a unanimous vote, and comes at a cost of more than $2 million, paying for 21 SROs.

Some people who spoke during the public comment period say the money should go toward technology, more school nurses, and counselors instead.

Tricia McManus is the district's Deputy Superintendent. She says SROs are providing coverage at meal pickup sites, remote learning centers, and Wi-Fi bus locations.

“The purpose of this is to provide an extra layer of protections for our families who are utilizing and taking advantage of these services," she says. "But more important than that, it's allowing them to build and strengthen their relationships with our students, families, and community while they are out in the field.”

The district says overall, it has reduced this year's SRO budget by more than $1.5 million.

"We are trying to scale back," says Malishai “Shai” Woodbury, chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board. "I think we need to think differently about how we secure schools, and the community is saying, 'We are in COVID, so why do we need so many SRO officers?'"

Woodbury says those cuts are a result of fewer positions as the city's police department transitions out of the program and reducing the sheriff's department contract.

The school board also approved a contract for around $58,000 with North State Security Group to help with night patrols and services at administrative sites and other buildings.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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