He says the $90M short-term fix would fill nearly 140 resource officer vacancies across the state. It raises the number of officers on campus to more than 300.PHOENIX — On Wednesday, State Superintendent Tom Horne rolled out a short-term fix that would add 138"school safety officers" to campuses around the state by letting off-duty police officers work at schools.
The plan is aimed at filling vacancies caused by officer shortages across the state, and would push the number of police officers on campus to more than 300 across 11 counties., a scheduling company that places off-duty police officers on security positions. Horne said that officers will make about $100 an hour through the program.
"The nightmare is that some maniac walks into a school and kills 20 kids, as has happened in other states, and could happen here, and there's no one there to protect the kids," Horne said as part of the announcement.Unlike a school resource officer, which is dedicated to one school, these new positions would shift between campuses as needed.
"Safety is one of the most important things, if not the most important thing we can provide in education," said Dysart Unified School District Superintendent John Croteau.While education leaders struggling to staff school officers welcome the plan, the program is expected to cost $90 million, according to allocations by the Department of Education.
Horne said he's working on a plan to place permanent school resource officers on campuses. So far, 33 districts have opted into the program, according to the Arizona Department of Education.Before You Leave, Check This Out