Kentucky sees rise in school resource officers, increase in funding

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There are now more than 800 school resource officers in Kentucky.

A school resource officer is a sworn law-enforcement officer with arrest powers who works in a school setting and specializes in training to work with youth at a school site.

In 2022, state lawmakers required public schools to have SROs. But a major complaint from school districts was lack of funding to comply.

House Bill 63 was signed into law in April 2022. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Bratcher, required local school boards to ensure schools in their districts have at least one armed resource officer working on their campuses and inside buildings by Aug. 1, 2022.

For this fiscal year and next, the state has increased funds for school safety by $2 million statewide. From 2019-24 fiscal year, the state appropriated $13 million per year. That's increasing to $15 million for 2025-26.

"We foster positive culture in the schools, we build long-term meaningful relationships with students and staff," said Chris Barrier, Montgomery County Schools Chief of Police. "So that is one I feel for me is the most important thing that we do."

There are now 826 SROs in Kentucky, which is 36 more than last year. There are nearly 1,100 school campuses in Kentucky.

Last fall, Ben Wilcox, Kentucky's School Security Marshal, told state lawmakers during its Task Force on School and Campus Safety that Kentucky fell short on school resource officers and mental health professionals.

According to Kentucky Center for School Safety, 37.0% of SROs are employed by their respective sheriff's department while 32.9% are employed by local or county police agencies.

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