Santa Rosa school leaders to finalize plans to bring police officers to high school

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Santa Rosa school leaders want to bring back police officers to its high school campus.

And just how to do that will be the center of Tuesday night's special school board meeting – especially how to pay for the officers. 

The idea of school resource officers at Santa Rosa schools isn't new. 

It was school policy for about 25 years, until 2020.

Now, calls have poured in to reinstate the program.

A school resource officer would be responsible for immediately responding to emergency situations at school and handling criminal incidents which have affected the Santa Rosa school district, especially in the last year with reports of on-campus stabbings, weapons on campus and drug overdoses.

School leaders agree that they want officers assigned to at least each of the first high schools in the district.

The district thinks the SRO program could cost about $1.8 million with $400,000 in startup fees.

School leaders are hoping to enter an agreement with the city of Santa Rosa to help pay those costs.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m.