GCSO committed to aid Richards SRO dilemma

At the Wednesday, Nov. 1 Regular Meeting of Grimes County Commissioners Court, Grimes County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Martha Smith advised commissioners of the department’s plans to assist Richards ISD with SRO (School Resource Officer) coverage. House Bill 3, passed during the 88th Texas Legislative Session requiring school districts to have armed security at every campus, has many schools scrambling for funds and Richards ISD no exception.

Smith said, “I met with Mr. Boyce the superintendent of Richards. As of today, his is the only school district in the county that does not have an SRO so he’s looking for options to help fill this position. He looks for us to contract our deputies as they do for volleyball games and basketball games for a side job.”

Two ‘schools’ of thought

Having consulted with County Attorney Jon C. Fultz, Smith said, “I don’t think we can come to a resolution at this point. He (Boyce) is under the understanding, per his school attorney, that he does not have to have an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the County. He can do this independently with the deputies. I’m just looking for guidance and direction from our county attorney and the Court on how to proceed with helping Richards fill this position.”

Fultz shared the Texas Attorney General’s ruling that an SRO may not be retained as an independent contractor as well as TASB’s (Texas Association of School Boards) conflicting statement that SROs can contract directly with a district. Fultz and Auditor Jessi Murphy noted that contracting independently presents potential issues related to overtime hours, use of taxpayer funded equipment and vehicles as well as liability.