Seven new resource officers will be added for the upcoming school year to DeSoto County Schools, according to the school system.
They announced on Tuesday, May 28, that this will bring the system to a total of 58 school officers. For the 2023-2024 school year, a total of $3.2 million was budgeted for school resource officers, according to DeSoto County Schools. For this time period, 51 school resource officers served DeSoto County Schools.
For the 2024-2025 school year, a total of $4.2 million is said to be budgeted for school resource officers, they said.
"We are fortunate to have a great working relationship with our sheriff's department and our city police departments," superintendent of education Cory Uselton said. "They provided excellent coverage for our schools, and the addition of officers is a proactive measure to enhance that coverage."
Uselton also said the district "wants parents to have the assurance of knowing that there is a licensed law enforcement agent on their child's campus every day."
"The safety of our students and employees is our top priority," Uselton said.