file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,the Ridgewood School Board and the Village Council have come to terms funding a School Resource Officer .After beginning the 2018-2019 school year at odds over who should pay for the new school resource officer(SRO), the Ridgewood Board of Education has finally agreed to a co-funding agreement.
In September, Village Council members claimed school district officials had reneged on good faith negotiations to co-fund the salary 50-50 for the school resource officer. Municipal officials claimed the Board of Education was asked to contribute $100,000 for their fiscal year. Board members asserted they made it clear from the start that funding for the SRO was not in the 2018-2019 district budget and the village’s 2018 operating budget covered the expense.
In December after serious public pressure and a disastrous election defeat by the sitting school board president the Ridgewood Board of Education unanimously voted to contribute up to $100,000 towards the SRO, prorated and effective Jan. 1, through a shared services agreement with the village.