Shelby East schools mull security costs

RAYS CROSSING, Ind. (WISH) - Shelby Eastern Schools officials are wrestling with how to pay for extra security at its schools but have agreed to hire off-duty police officers in the short-term, 24-Hour News 8 news partner the Shelbyville News reports .

The SES board addressed the issue in a specially called meeting on Saturday and opted to hire off-duty officers to be at the system’s two campuses, in Morristown and Waldron, every day school is in session through Feb. 15.

That gives the board more time to consider the larger issue: How to pay for ongoing security upgrades.

“We need to make sure we spend money correctly. We do not have enough money to do it all,” board member Rick Haymond said.

During the meeting, the board was told that off-duty officers would cost $25 an hour. That means for a five-day week, the school would be paying $2,000 to have an officer posted at both campuses from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

It would cost $76,000 annually for the school system to set up its own police force, complete with cars and officers, retired Indiana State Police Trooper Rob Jones told the board.