SROs returning to schools, but not all

School Resource Officers will be back in some Iron Range schools this fall.

But not all.

In Hibbing, School Resource Officers (SROs) will be returning to Hibbing Public Schools, Hibbing Police Chief Steve Estey said.

“We’re good to go,” Estey said. “We’re full steam ahead.”

After the 2023 Minnesota Legislature passed legislation that resulted in conflicting legal interpretations and ambiguity about the use of certain restraints by School Resource Officers (SROs) in school settings, many law enforcement agencies in the state pulled SROs from public schools.

That left many schools without SROs for much of the 2023-2024 school year.

However, the 2024 Minnesota Legislature clarified language of the 2023 legislation, amending the legislation to authorize the use of force in situations where it’s necessary to restrain the child or pupil to prevent bodily harm or death to the child, pupil, or another.

It also laid out other criteria including fostering a positive school climate through relationship building, open communication, protecting students, staff and visitors from criminal activity, serving as a liaison between school officials and law enforcement, identifying vulnerabilities in schools facilities and safety procedures, educating and advising students and staff on law enforcement topics, and enforcing criminal laws.

That opened the door for SROs to return to school districts.

Two SROs will be back in Hibbing schools, Estey said.

“Like in years past, we’ll have one in the elementary school and one on the high school,” Estey said. “We’re pumped. We’re excited because schools are a very important part of our community and especially with those younger kids. To be able to make that positive role model connection (with an SRO), it can be life changing.”

Hibbing Public Schools Superintendent Rick Aldrich said the district is thankful to have two SROs back in its buildings this year.

“Although we were fortunate to retain support at our elementary’s last school year, the impact of the attorney general’s ruling on high schools was detrimental to students and staff,” Aldrich said. “We really missed our SROs. Our SROs focus on safety, education, mentorship and relationship building. They are also able to assist when situations get heated. Our safety partnership with the City of Hibbing, and the HPD, is a needed service we are happy to provide the school community.”

In Chisholm, an SRO will be back in schools after last year having an police officer shortage, Chisholm Police Chief Vern Manner said.

“This year, we plan on on putting one back in schools as of right now,” Manner said.

Chisholm Public Schools Superintendent Mark Morrison said the Chisholm Police Department has been good to work with, even when police department staffing has been a challenge.

“They’re very good,” Morrison said. “They have one or two cars parked here every day.”

At Mesabi East, an SRO from the East Range Police Department will be in school for the coming year as it was last year, Jeff Burgess, Mesabi East Public Schools superintendent said.

“Mesabi East maintained that position through the statutory issues that were seen last year,” Burgess said. “We intend to maintain that position in our district.” Burgess said..

But SROs won’t be back in every school district.

Districts facing budget crunches and a lack of law enforcement officers in some communities, means some districts that had SROs prior to the 2023 legislation, won’t be bringing SROs back.

Rock Ridge Public Schools is one of the districts that won’t be seeing an SRO.

The Virginia Police Department, which provides an SRO to the district, is currently short five officers, Virginia Police Chief Nicole Mattson said.

“Until I get my officer count up, I won’t be able to put an SRO in the school,” Mattson said. “I’d love to. It’s so needed, but the numbers (of active officers the police department currently has) is ridiculous.”

Some officers are out with injuries, Mattson said.

Two officers recently hired need to go through 12 weeks of training, Mattson said.

The police department had been providing an SRO in the high school, Mattson said.

The SRO also served the elementary schools and provided DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), Mattson said.

St. Louis County Schools, including Cherry, Northeast Range, North Woods, Tower, and South Ridge campuses, won’t have SROs due to the district budget, Superintendent Reggie Engebritson said.

“Unfortunately, we will not be able to have SROs for (District) 2142 this year,” Engebritson said. “We are in deficit spending and there are not dollars to spend on the program.”

St. Louis County Sheriff’s Deputies have been serving as SROs in the county schools for years.

But like many other districts, SROs were pulled from the schools by law enforcement in the wake of the 2023 legislation.

The school district pays for the SROs during the school year and the county pays the officers for the remainder of the year when they’re on duty as St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Gordon Ramsay, St. Louis County sheriff said.

“I think it’s about $50,000 per deputy (for SRO pay) and I don’t have the money,” Ramsay said. “We wouldn’t be in this boat if it wasn’t for that troublesome law. It didn’t have to be that way.”

Deputies, however, will stay in touch with St. Louis County district schools, Ramsay said.

“It’s going to be a hybrid model,” Ramsay said. “We’re going to swing by the schools, but it won’t be like it was two years ago.”

Mountain Iron-Buhl, which hasn’t had an SRO in the past, also won’t have one this year, Engebritson, who also serves as Mountain Iron-Buhl superintendent said.