The Phoenix Union High School District will more than triple the number of full-time school resource officers on its campuses next school year. It's a big change for a district that has previously been cautious about having law enforcement on campus.
In 2020, the district chose not to re-sign its annual agreement with the city of Phoenix for officers, citing both the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide discussions about police brutality after the death of George Floyd.
The district brought a few officers back in 2023. There are currently four SROs and two SSOs on campus. An SRO is a full-time, dedicated individual; and an SSO is a rotational officer who picks up extra shifts on their day off.
The state recently granted Phoenix Union funding for 15 SROs through its school safety grant program.
Before the board voted to accept the grants on Thursday, several students spoke out against the decision, including Genesis Camacho.
“Right now, many immigrant students and families are already living in fear and uncertainty," Camacho said. "Adding more law enforcement to schools can increase that fear instead of making students feel safe.”
She and others asked the board to instead invest in more school counselors. Superintendent Thea Andrade said they did not apply for grants for counselors because the Arizona Department of Education had told districts to prioritize SROs in their applications.
Public comment was evenly split on the issue, as many staff members highlighted the value of having someone on campus with a direct line to a dispatch center during emergencies.
"I don’t have to split my attention between managing the scene and navigating a 911 call, which sometimes takes upwards of five minutes to get an answer," said North High School Principal Jamie Johnston. "Instead, my SRO handles that connection quickly, professionally and with the kind of situational awareness that only comes from being embedded in our school community."
A presentation at Thursday's meeting highlighted how much the district spends on safety and broke down its multi-layered approach, as well as a community survey about law enforcement on campus.
Phoenix Union says it will train officers on district-specific safety protocols, including guidelines on working with special needs students.
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