Oklahoma Lawmakers Seek Permanent School Resource Officer Funding

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Oklahoma state lawmakers are moving to make a school resource officer grant program permanent, with a proposed $50 million annual budget to fund the initiative across the state. The program was launched a few years ago on a temporary basis, and this legislation would solidify the funding and make it an ongoing part of the state's education budget.

Why it matters

School safety and security has been a major concern for many communities, and the presence of trained resource officers on campuses can help provide an added layer of protection for students and staff. Making this program permanent would give schools more certainty around their security funding and staffing.

The details

The proposed legislation would allocate $50 million per year to fund school resource officers in districts across Oklahoma. The program was initially launched on a temporary basis a couple years ago, and this new bill would make it a permanent part of the state's education budget. The goal is to ensure all schools have access to trained law enforcement personnel to enhance safety and security.

• The school resource officer grant program was first launched a couple years ago.
• The new legislation to make the program permanent was introduced by state lawmakers on Thursday.

What’s next

The proposed legislation still needs to go through the full legislative process before being signed into law, but lawmakers are optimistic it will receive bipartisan support given the importance of school safety.