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With more than 60,000 students returning to school for the 2024-2025 year, efforts are underway to increase school security in East Tennessee, aiming to place a security officer in every East Tennessee School. Less than half of Knox County’s schools currently have a law enforcement officer on campus, but a new grant program could change that.
This marks the first school year following Governor Bill Lee’s passage of millions in school security funding during a special-called session, focusing on increasing the presence of school security officers (SSOs) and school resource officers (SROs).
Types of Security Personnel
There are two types of security personnel in schools:
- School Security Officers (SSOs): Armed personnel employed and trained by the school system.
- School Resource Officers (SROs): Armed law enforcement officers assigned to schools by local agencies, such as the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) or the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).
Knox County Schools reported a 20% increase in SSOs, bringing the total to over 120 for the new school year. KPD, which oversees 46 schools, has assigned SROs to seven of them, with officers responding to issues in nearby schools when needed. KCSO, which oversees 42 schools, has 31 SROs and four supervisors assigned.
While not all schools have dedicated SROs full-time, every school is covered by patrol zones monitored by law enforcement, ensuring timely responses to emergencies.
Statewide School Resource Officer Grant
Governor Lee’s legislation created several grants to increase officer presence in schools, including the Statewide School Resource Officer Grant. This grant allows local law enforcement agencies to apply for funding to station an armed SRO in every public school. If approved, departments receive up to $75,000 per school annually.
According to the School Security and SRO Grant Report for the previous school year, Knox County had 92 eligible schools, but only 7% were initially part of the SRO program. After KCSO entered agreements with 42 schools, the percentage jumped to 52%, with all participating schools having full-time SROs.
Funding and Future Plans to Ensure a Security Officer in Every East Tennessee School
Knox County Schools has ensured that every school now has at least one SSO on campus, and the State of Tennessee has disbursed over $101.7 million in grants to fund SROs across all 95 counties. This funding aims to enhance school security and ensure a safer environment for students and staff.
As more law enforcement agencies and school districts apply for the grant, the goal of placing a security officer in every East Tennessee school is becoming a reality.
