Pickett County Schools Secure Funding For SROs

The Pickett County School system has secured funding to hire School Resource Officers.

Director of Schools Diane Elder said the board of education has approved funding to hire a total of two SROs.

“We wanted to step up to the plate and fund those, especially after all the issues that have taken place at other school systems,” Elder said. “We felt like that was something we needed to do.”

Elder said funding SROs has been an issue for her school system, which is one of the smallest in the state.

“We are unfortunately living in a day and time that we can no longer say, just because we are small it’s not going to happen here,” Elder said. “It can happen in Pickett County just like it can happen anywhere else.

Pickett County schools, one of two schools systems across the state without SROs.

Elder says the school system will begin working on some additional school safety projects in the near future, but that will depend on funding.

“We have plans on replacing several doors and windows at the high school,” Elder said. “We hope to do some things that will step up our safety.”

Elder said the SROs will hopefully be in place by the start of next school year.