Safe Schools First — Every Day
Safe Schools First — Every Day
The Issue
SAFE SCHOOLS FIRST — EVERY DAY
A Petition for Dedicated School Resource Officer Coverage at Every School
To the Augusta County School Board, School Administration, Local Government Officials, and Community Leaders:
We, the undersigned parents, students, educators, school employees, and community members, believe that every child deserves to attend school in an environment where safety is treated as a fundamental priority.
Our schools should be places where children can learn, teachers can teach, and families can have confidence that reasonable measures are in place to protect students and staff.
We are asking Augusta County to take meaningful steps toward providing dedicated School Resource Officer (SRO) coverage at every school, every school day, for the full duration of the school day.
WE PETITION FOR:
1. Dedicated SRO coverage at every school.
We ask Augusta County to establish a goal of having a dedicated, properly trained and qualified SRO assigned to every school, with coverage throughout the regular school day.
2. Consistent protection rather than relying solely on rotating or shared coverage.
When an officer is responsible for multiple schools, there may be periods when that officer is not physically present at a particular school. We believe every school should have a consistent safety presence rather than depending solely on response from another location.
3. Properly trained and qualified school safety personnel.
Any individual serving in a school safety role should meet all applicable state and local requirements and receive appropriate training in areas including school safety, emergency response, de-escalation, working with children and adolescents, crisis response, and the unique responsibilities associated with serving in a school environment.
4. A sustainable plan for funding and staffing.
We ask the School Board and appropriate local and state officials to work together to identify sustainable funding sources and staffing solutions that can provide reliable coverage without placing an unreasonable burden on individual schools.
5. Community transparency and accountability.
We ask the School Board to publicly communicate the current level of SRO coverage at each school, identify gaps in coverage, and develop a measurable plan for increasing coverage where it is currently unavailable or inconsistent.
OUR POSITION
This petition is not intended to suggest that an SRO is the only component of school safety.
School safety requires a comprehensive approach that can include secure facilities, emergency planning, mental-health resources, threat assessment, appropriate supervision, communication systems, trained staff, partnerships with law enforcement, and other preventative measures.
However, we believe that having a qualified safety professional physically present at each school during the school day is an important part of that comprehensive approach.
We also recognize that staffing and funding challenges are real. We are asking our elected and appointed leaders to work collaboratively to find solutions rather than accepting gaps in coverage as permanent.
OUR REQUEST
We respectfully ask the Augusta County School Board to:
Commit to the goal of providing dedicated SRO coverage at every school, every school day, throughout the school day, and establish a clear plan and timeline for achieving that goal.
We ask our community leaders to make the safety of students and school employees a priority and to work with families, educators, law enforcement, and the community to make this goal achievable.
Our children should not have to attend one school with a safety presence while another school goes without.
Every school matters.
Every classroom matters.
Every child matters.
SAFE SCHOOLS FIRST — EVERY DAY
By signing this petition, I support the goal of strengthening school safety in Augusta County and working toward dedicated, properly trained SRO coverage at every school during the school day.
Name: ______________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________
Date: _______________________________________
School / Community (optional): ______________________________
Email or Phone (optional): __________________________________
73
The Issue
SAFE SCHOOLS FIRST — EVERY DAY
A Petition for Dedicated School Resource Officer Coverage at Every School
To the Augusta County School Board, School Administration, Local Government Officials, and Community Leaders:
We, the undersigned parents, students, educators, school employees, and community members, believe that every child deserves to attend school in an environment where safety is treated as a fundamental priority.
Our schools should be places where children can learn, teachers can teach, and families can have confidence that reasonable measures are in place to protect students and staff.
We are asking Augusta County to take meaningful steps toward providing dedicated School Resource Officer (SRO) coverage at every school, every school day, for the full duration of the school day.
WE PETITION FOR:
1. Dedicated SRO coverage at every school.
We ask Augusta County to establish a goal of having a dedicated, properly trained and qualified SRO assigned to every school, with coverage throughout the regular school day.
2. Consistent protection rather than relying solely on rotating or shared coverage.
When an officer is responsible for multiple schools, there may be periods when that officer is not physically present at a particular school. We believe every school should have a consistent safety presence rather than depending solely on response from another location.
3. Properly trained and qualified school safety personnel.
Any individual serving in a school safety role should meet all applicable state and local requirements and receive appropriate training in areas including school safety, emergency response, de-escalation, working with children and adolescents, crisis response, and the unique responsibilities associated with serving in a school environment.
4. A sustainable plan for funding and staffing.
We ask the School Board and appropriate local and state officials to work together to identify sustainable funding sources and staffing solutions that can provide reliable coverage without placing an unreasonable burden on individual schools.
5. Community transparency and accountability.
We ask the School Board to publicly communicate the current level of SRO coverage at each school, identify gaps in coverage, and develop a measurable plan for increasing coverage where it is currently unavailable or inconsistent.
OUR POSITION
This petition is not intended to suggest that an SRO is the only component of school safety.
School safety requires a comprehensive approach that can include secure facilities, emergency planning, mental-health resources, threat assessment, appropriate supervision, communication systems, trained staff, partnerships with law enforcement, and other preventative measures.
However, we believe that having a qualified safety professional physically present at each school during the school day is an important part of that comprehensive approach.
We also recognize that staffing and funding challenges are real. We are asking our elected and appointed leaders to work collaboratively to find solutions rather than accepting gaps in coverage as permanent.
OUR REQUEST
We respectfully ask the Augusta County School Board to:
Commit to the goal of providing dedicated SRO coverage at every school, every school day, throughout the school day, and establish a clear plan and timeline for achieving that goal.
We ask our community leaders to make the safety of students and school employees a priority and to work with families, educators, law enforcement, and the community to make this goal achievable.
Our children should not have to attend one school with a safety presence while another school goes without.
Every school matters.
Every classroom matters.
Every child matters.
SAFE SCHOOLS FIRST — EVERY DAY
By signing this petition, I support the goal of strengthening school safety in Augusta County and working toward dedicated, properly trained SRO coverage at every school during the school day.
Name: ______________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________
Date: _______________________________________
School / Community (optional): ______________________________
Email or Phone (optional): __________________________________
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Petition created on September 4, 2026