New state-funded SRO’s hit the halls in elementary schools
by The Press and Standard | October 18, 2019 5:00 am
Last Updated: October 16, 2019 at 12:48 pm
The four new school resource officers hired as a result of a grant from the S.C. Department of Education’s School Safety Program are on the job.
The four new officers, who bring the total number of SRO’s working in Colleton County Schools to 10, began their duties on Oct. 9.
The $11.9 million in state funding, provided by the S.C. General Assembly, was used to provide school resource officers in every county in the state. When the funding was announced by S.C. Department of Education Superintendent Molly Spearman on Sept. 26, the Colleton County School District and Colleton County Sheriff’s Office got to work filling those new posts.
The state grant covers the salary and fringe benefits for the new school resource officers.
“There is no issue more important than the safety and well-being of our students and teachers,” Spearman said when she announced the funding. “School resource officers are a deterrent to violence within the school building, and their training and response to crime is an invaluable asset that allows educators to focus on instruction. The funding of these 205 officers puts us within reach of meeting our goal for having a SRO in every school.”
The following deputies are assigned to the following schools for their duties as school resource officers:
• Colleton County High School: Corporal Chad Cummings and Deputy Phillip Cole.
• Colleton County Middle School: Corporal Stencil White and Deputy William Crawford.
• Bells Elementary School: Corporal Jimmy Wiggins.
• Black Street Early Childhood Center: Sgt. Shannon Thomason.
• Cottageville Elementary: Deputy Ray Crawford.
• Forest Hills Elementary: Corporal Stephanie Crosby.
• Hendersonville Elementary: Corporal James Brown.
• Northside Elementary: Deputy Alysse Janicki.
The two SROs assigned to the high school will also monitor Thunderbolt Career and Technology Center, and the SRO assigned to Forest Hills Elementary will monitor the Colleton Academy for Success.
“We appreciate the funding that has been provided to hire these additional SROs,” Colleton County School District Superintendent Dr. Franklin Foster said.
“These officers will help us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for our students and staff.”
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