Private security, police officer or other options? Franklin schools to look at their security

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School safety will be a topic of discussion at tonight’s Franklin Board of Education meeting.

The discussion will focus on the need for a school resource officer as part of a partnership with the Warren County Educational Services Center and Franklin police.

At the board’s Feb. 26 meeting, board members concerned with costs of hiring a school resource officer as well as the one-time start-up costs asked administrators to look into other options, such as hiring armed private security guards.

Last month, administrators presented a plan in which the WCESC and the Franklin City Schools would each pay 37.5 percent of the costs for a school resource officer to cover the county’s two learning centers as well as Franklin High School and Junior High School buildings, with the city paying the remaining 25 percent. The SRO would cover those school buildings during the school year and would be a patrol officer in the city for the summer months.

School board members also heard an update from administrators on school security and safety improvements the district has made over the past several years during that meeting.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. at the Hampton Bennett Building, 150 E. Sixth St.

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