Title
School Resource Officer (SRO) Agreements and Retiree SRO Update - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee with an update on the Phoenix Police Department's School Resource Officer (SRO) program and requests a recommendation by the Subcommittee to the full Council for approval of the 2026-2027 school year contracts.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
At the request of school districts, the Police Department enters into Intergovernmental Agreements with various districts to assist with the cost of School Resource Officers (SROs) deployed in schools. Funding for these SROs 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 salary, 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 the Retired Police Officer School Resource Officer Program (RSRO), 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 hire of two retired employees in March 2026 and additional hiring underway. These positions are similar to traditional SROs in their job duties.
Staff requests a recommendation by the Subcommittee to the full Council for approval of the 2026-2027 school year contracts which, at this time, include agreements for SRO/RSRO services within 20 school districts for a total deployment of 69 SROs/RSROs, with three of these positions being funded directly by school 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 School 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 Elementary 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 salary and fringe benefits, which is included in the Department's budget.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.