MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Moorhead School Board has agreed to renew its School Resource Officer Program for three more years with the option of two one-year extensions.
The city and Moorhead Area Public Schools will each pay an estimated $171,000 this year for the pay and benefits for three officers and a youth services coordinator. The city will pay for uniforms and equipment.
The decision passed in a 6-1 voice vote. After that, Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick gave a presentation on the school resource officer program.
“This should be the easiest sales pitch in history I guess,” Helmick said before giving the presentation.
School Board Member Lorilee Bergin asked for clarification on if the $171,000 was the school district’s share to pay for the school resource officer program or the total cost to be paid by the district and the city.
“I wish this presentation would’ve been before the vote,” Bergin said after hearing from Helmick that amount is the district’s portion to pay.
The information given in Helmick’s presentation was in the agenda packet for the meeting that was made public before it began.
The School Board also received information on an audit of the district’s safety and security in a closed session by Zeal Education Group.
The short public presentation showed Zeal’s information was from site visits, a staff survey, focus groups and interviews. Zamary said the audit was the number one request in a survey.
The information was shared by Mark Pompano and Dr. Jack Zamary. Pompano is a former Los Angeles Police Officer and School Security Director for Newtown, Connecticut Schools. He worked there before, during and after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012 where 26 people were shot and killed. Zamary is a former Newtown teacher and a former superintendent.
The two explained the information would be shared privately because people may use it for bad intentions.
This school year a student was arrested after police found 1,500 fentanyl pills at Horizon Middle School, a student was arrested after officers found a gun at the alternative learning center, police found a gun near a student near the district’s Vista Center For Education after a disturbance at the career academy and a student was arrested after a knife was found outside the career academy.
The School Board also unanimously passed a resolution directing school administration to make recommendations for discontinuing and reducing education programs and positions. It called to reduce spending because of changing programs and financial limitations. The resolution said this is an annual process.
This comes despite voters approving two, 10-year operating levies in November 2025 that will provide $5.87 million each year to help fund the district’s budget.
