Caldwell School District replaces school resources officers

Due to the supplemental levy failing last May, the Caldwell School District had to make significant budget cuts. The $4.1 million shortfall led the board of trustees to switch from city-employed SROs to a new contract with a private security firm. At a meeting earlier this month, the school board approved a one-year contract with Eagle Eye Security, which will cost the district $280,000 for the school year, or $28,000 a month. In previous years, the total cost for the 2023-24 school year contract with the Caldwell School District was $295,807 for four SROs. Eagle Eye Security states that their priority is the safety of the students. The contract with Eagle Eye Security is a one-year agreement, and the district will reassess its needs for next year depending on the outcomes of future levies.

• Caldwell School District makes the switch from City employees SROs to a private security firm.
• The district will reasess for the next year depending on the outcome of future levies.

( Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

At a meeting earlier this month the school board approved the one-year contract that will cost the district $280,000 for the school year or $28,000 a month.

The contract will only cover a handful of Caldwell schools.

Syringa and Jefferson middle schools, and Caldwell and Canyon Springs high schools.

A district spokesperson tells me these secondary schools were chosen because there is “Increased student movement throughout the buildings.”

Which increases the need for more security measures.

Each of those schools will be staffed with an armed and uniformed guard who will “perform security related work for potential and/or active threat incidents as directed by command staff.”

“Ideally, we want them checking doors, roving the campus, not just being in the building, parking lots, buses everywhere that we need them to be,” Said Eric Phillips, Director of Student and Emergency Operations.

The guards will be on campus the entire school day.

Caldwell PD tells me their SRO Sergeant will continue to make rounds at Caldwell schools.