Dupage Policy Journal

During its January meeting, the West Chicago Elementary School District Board of Education considered an amended version of an intergovernmental agreement with the city of West Chicago.

During the Jan. 18 session, which was streamed on YouTube, it was noted that the board has been working under an existing agreement with the city for one police officer to work in the district’s buildings as a school resource officer. The amendment would clarify some details and could add a second school resource officer in the district.

“The intergovernmental agreement just agrees to the terms if there is one [extra SRO],” Superintendent Kristina Davis said during the meeting. “And then you'll see when we come back at the end of February, early March, with our staffing recommendations you can decide as to whether or not you want to move forward with that.”

The board also learned that the presence of a school resource officer in the schools has no impact on the rights of any student, nor does it give police improved access to make arrests. The officers, who are full-time employees of the police department, protect students and staff and help build relationships. The district would consider staggering the schedule of the second officer, and would pay half of the city’s costs – $167,900 – per officer with some adjustments each year.

“The city is eager to know because training is quite lengthy,” Davis told the board. “So we're trying to keep good communication with them as to our intent. Apparently there's a quite lengthy training program to get that person through to be ready for the school year.”

Davis also told the board the city has a keen interest in getting another school resource officer in training for the district and a number of officers have stepped forward to express an interest in the role.

The board, which will finalize budget plans in the coming weeks that include the school resource officer, approved the rest of the intergovernmental agreement with West Chicago.