Habersham County Schools Director of School Safety Murray Kogod requested an additional school resource officer (SRO) for Habersham Central High School. The request came during the Habersham County Board of Education’s (BOE) work session Thursday.
Kogod explained to the board members that there was a need for the additional officer at the high school. Currently, there is only one school resource officer at that location. He explained that there were nearly 1,600 students at the high school and that an additional SRO is needed.
Recently, the school superintendent and assistant superintendent approved the request of the Director of School Safety to move his office from the district’s office to the high school for that reason.
However, Kogod explained that he has to leave the school from time to time to visit other schools in the district, leaving only one SRO at the high school. The additional SRO would allow there to be two SROs at the high school during his absence.
The new position would also assist Kogod in developing and implementing new safety initiatives each year for the school system.
Assistant School Superintendent Patrick Franklin compared the high school to a small city. “The individual would stay onsite because it truly is a small city. With employees there, you’re talking of upwards of 1,700 folks coming and going,” he told the board members.
School Board Chairman Doug Westmoreland asked if the board would need to approve the posting of that position? Franklin responded yes. He added that there would be an interview committee along with Kogod in the selection process. “I support it,” Westmoreland said. Westmoreland received a consensus of the board members to move forward with posting the position.
According to Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy and incoming Sheriff Robin Krockum, the school system is budgeted for a total of 14 school resource officers but only have nine currently assigned to the school system. The SROs operate out of the Sheriff’s Office.
Up until this year, the Sheriff’s Office has paid for everything except salaries and benefits. The Board of Education and the Sheriff’s Office have split the cost in the past, with the BOE paying 80% and the Sheriff’s Office paying 20%. The Sheriff’s Office still pays for all vehicles, maintenance, equipment, and uniforms, according to Krockum.
Habersham County Chief Financial Officer Tim Sims tells Now Habersham that for the FY 2025 budget “the BOE has agreed upon reimbursing the County 100% of the cost of the total SRO program actual costs.”
