Title
Approval to Enter into Agreements with Various Schools and School Districts for School Resource Officer Services (Ordinance S-53058) - Citywide
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to allow the Police Department to enter into Intergovernmental Agreements or contracts with various school districts and charter schools at the school district’s or charter school’s request for placement of School Resource Officers (SROs) and Retired School Resource Officers (RSROs). These agreements are for the 2026-2027 school year. Further request authorization for the City Treasurer to accept and for the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item. Cost to the City is the 25 percent match for the SRO/RSRO salary and fringe benefits.
Report
Summary
At the request of school districts, the Police Department enters into Intergovernmental Agreements with various school districts to assist with the cost of SROs/RSROs deployed in schools. Funding for these positions is provided through partnerships with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and individual school districts. Through this partnership, school district funds reimburse the City for 75 percent of the SRO's and RSRO’s salary and fringe benefits, while the remaining 25 percent is paid by the City.
In addition to the traditional SRO program, the City has implemented a significant enhancement through RSRO program, established under Arizona Revised Statue §15-154 and launched in the fall of 2025. This initiative was designed to address school safety needs and department staffing challenges by enabling retired officers from the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System to serve as RSROs.
Recruitment for these positions began in October 2025, with the hiring of two retired employees in March 2026 and additional hiring underway. These positions are similar to traditional SROs in their job duties.
The 2026-2027 school year includes agreements for SRO/RSRO services within 19 schools/districts for a total deployment of 69 SROs/RSROs, with three of these positions being funded directly by school districts. This reflects the removal of Tolleson Elementary School District, at the district's request, from the previously anticipated list of 20 schools/districts. Due to the ongoing process to review and approve additional grant requests by ADE for the upcoming school year, any additional identified districts or schools will be discussed with Council members and education partners at a future date, and any additional agreements will be brought to the Council for approval.
2026-2027 SRO/RSRO Schools/Districts
ASU Preparatory Academy
Cartwright Elementary District
Cave Creek Unified District
Deer Valley Unified District
Empower College Prep.
Glendale Union High School District
Horizon Community Learning Center
Kaizen Education Foundation
Kyrene Elementary School District
Laveen Elementary District
Murphy Elementary District
Paradise Valley Unified District
Phoenix Union High School District
Premier Charter High School
Scottsdale Unified School District
Tempe Union High School District
Tolleson Union High School District
Washington Elementary School District
Wilson Elementary School District
Contract Term
The terms of these agreements are for one year with varying start and end dates to coincide with each school's 2026-2027 school year.
Financial Impact
Cost to the City is the 25 percent match for the SRO/RSRO salary and fringe benefits.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was approved 3-0 by the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on June 3, 2026.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.