The Oconee County School System and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office have reached an agreement to create 16 deputy positions for a resource program that will provide security for each school in the district.
The program, projected to cost nearly $1.4 million, took immediate effect and runs through June 2026. It will automatically renew each year. The Oconee County government will invoice the school district on a monthly basis and the school district will reimburse the county.
Sheriff James Hale says the agreement gives him authorization to begin hiring people. The document also states what the officers can and cannot do during their work at the schools. The starting salary for the positions is just over $55,000 a year.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News