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HomeMy Public PortalAboutLTC 120-2022 - School Resource Officer LTC 2022BAL HARBOUR - VILLAGE - OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER LETTER TO COUNCIL NO. 120-2022 To: From Jorge M.Gonzalez, Village ManageL or 1 Date: August 5, 2022 (i Subject: School Resource Police Officers at Ruth K. Broad K-8 Education Center Mayor Gabriel Groisman and Members o the Village Council The purpose of this Letter to Council (LTC) is to provide you with an update regarding the assignment of School Resource Police Officers at Ruth K. Broad K-8 Education Center for the 2022-2023 school year. This update is a follow-up to the Discussion Item requested by Mayor Groisman and Councilman Sklar at the May 17, 2022 Council meeting. The health, safety and welfare of the children in our community is a priority, and we have been able to proactively augment services at our local public school in a number of ways over the past several years in partnership with our neighboring municipalities and the Miami -Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS). By way of background, Florida Statutes, Section 1006.12, requires a "safe -school officer" at each public school in Florida. In November 2018, Miami -Dade County voters approved, by an overwhelming majority, for an additional 0.75 mills of ad valorem taxes to be levied and paid to the MDCPS to use for operational expenses, including the increase and support of school safety and security personnel. This referendum sunsets on June 30, 2023 and as such, the MDCPS Board and the Miami -Dade County Board of County Commissioners have approved an updated Referendum which is on the November 8, 2022 General Election ballot, asking voters to approve a levy for an additional millage of up to 0.1 mills of ad valorem taxes paid to the Miami - Dade County Public Schools to continue to fund operational expenses, including school safety and security personnel at all public and charter schools in Miami -Dade County. Since 2018, Bal Harbour Village, along with the Towns of Bay Harbor Islands and Surfside have collectively shared in the cost of funding a School Resource Police Officer from the Town of Bay Harbor Islands at Ruth K. Broad K-8 Center who is present at the school during school hours, along with a $30,000 reimbursement from the MDCPS. For the upcoming school year, we have been meeting with staff from the MDCPS, and they have agreed to fully fund the cost of one School Resource Police Officer from the MDCPS Police Department for the 2022-2023 School year beginning on August 17, 2022. In addition, Bal Harbour Village, along with the Towns of Bay Harbor Islands and Surfside, and possibly Indian Creek Village, will continue to fund the staffing of a Police Officer from the Town of Bay Harbor Islands for the 2022-2023 School year. The estimated cost of this for the school year is approximately $21,000 if Bal Harbour Village, and the Towns of Bay Harbor Islands and Surfside share the cost or approximately $16,000 per municipality if Indian Creek Village participates. Page 2 of 3 School Resource Police Officers at Ruth K. Broad K-8 Education Center Page 3 of 3 School Resource Police Officers at Ruth K. Broad K-8 Education Center