The Charlottesville City School Board will vote on whether to bring school resource officers back at its meeting on Thursday, May 30. The vote follows a survey of parents in February that found more than 60 percent would be in favor of SROs in city schools under the right conditions, said city schools spokesperson Beth Cheuk.

“We hear from people who remain really happy that we have schools that do not have police permanently stationed in them. And we hear from other people who feel like that would be a real improvement to our security processes,” Cheuk told Charlottesville Right Now.

Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis gave a presentation to the school board at its last meeting, proposing a model that would place one specially trained SRO at Charlottesville High School, one at Buford Middle School and a third to be present at evening events and to provide cover for the other two officers in case of their absence.

“That model derives from a model in Cambridge, Massachusetts,” Cheuk explained. “They’re really borrowing from the world of social work and just wanting to really build relationships, meet the needs of the students.”

Kochis estimated the first-year cost at $500,000 and said subsequent years would be less expensive.

Cheuk said in addition to special training for the SROs, the school system would have a voice in the choice of officers.

“Everyone knows that at schools, you have to have the right fit, and that’s a big piece to give the schools a say in that hiring decision,” Cheuk said.

Listen to the full interview with Beth Cheuk here.