Dierks City Council Hears Proposal for SRO from School District

The City of Dierks and the town’s school district are looking to continue their partnership for providing a school resource officer. Dierks Superintendent Jody Cowart attended Monday’s council meeting to discuss the issue. The opening was created when former resource officer Bennie Simmons resigned. The main questions raised by council members is the additional insurance costs, as Simmons declined the insurance option, and what will happen if students are required to do off campus learning for any extended period of time. After a lengthy discussion, Cowart said he was willing to approach his school board with the idea of making the resource officer a classified employee of the district, so that the school system would absorb the added insurance costs. The resource officer would use the city’s vehicle & other law enforcement equipment and it will be the city who is responsible for making sure the state law enforcement certification requirements are met.
The agreement for these changes was reached by the Superintendent & city, and becomes final, pending school board approval.