ORLANDO, Fla. – Five local governments will provide officers for public schools in tentative agreements reached by Orange County Public Schools.
On Wednesday, the district disclosed that it had reached preliminary agreements with Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Winter Park, and Windermere.
The local governments will provide school resource officer coverage to school campuses through the 2026-2027 school year.
District Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez expressed gratitude to the municipalities for their commitment to creating a safe educational setting for all students, as stated in a press release.
Details of the agreements were not released.
There had been challenges between the school district and local governments regarding the compensation of school resource officers. Initially, the district proposed starting salaries at $72,000, increasing to $75,000. However, the cities believed this amount was insufficient.
The district considered using school guardians instead, but they have limited authority in certain situations.
The negotiations affect about 30 school campuses.
