(October 22) The county and the sheriff’s department will charge the Victor Valley Union High School District over $130,000 for the services of a single school resource officer to work the Adelanto High School campus for the slightly more than six months of instructional time before the end of the current school year.
According to sheriff’s captain Shannon Dicus. “On September 18, 2014, the Victor Valley Union High
School District Board of Trustees approved the addition of a school resource officer to be assigned at Adelanto High School. School resource officers work closely with school administrators in an effort to create a safer environment for both students and staff. In addition to typical peace officer duties, School resource officers provide mentoring to students and conduct presentations on youth-related issues.”
The services provided by the resource officer will cost the taxpayers in the Victor Valley Union High School $968.94 per day.
The proposed contract provides revenue in the amount of $130,807 to provide a full-time deputy sheriff as a school resource officer for the balance of the school year. The rate charged provides full recovery of both the direct and indirect costs of this contract.
According to Dicus, “Services will be provided by existing staff; however, budget adjustments will be necessary cover anticipated overtime and equipment costs. The sheriff’s department will receive $130,807 for providing a school resource officer for the period of November 3, 2014 through May 29, 2015. The proposed contract provides for school resource officer services at Adelanto High School for the remainder of the 2014-15 school year. This contract benefits the district by having a dedicated law enforcement presence on campus and the department is benefited by freeing up patrol deputies from having to respond to numerous issues on campus.”
Dicus told the Sentinel the $130,807 cost of providing the deputy’s services to the district reflects the annual $ 224,240.57 annual cost to the department of employing a single deputy.