Security at Attala County Schools will increase for the upcoming year.
The Attala County Board of Supervisors and County School Board gave the green light to hire a resource officer to cover the four county schools Monday.
“We have taken large measures to increase the safety and security at the county schools and this is the next step,” Attala County Superintendent Bryan Weaver said.
In the proposal the county will supply the officer with a car and equipment, while the officers’ salary will be split between the two entities or $23,000 each. The school is expected to receive a $10,000 grant that will cover the officer’s training.
The motion passed by a 3-2 split vote among the supervisors with Kerry Ellington and Steven Goss voting against, while the school board vote was unanimous.
“I am 100 percent behind adding a resource officer or two at the schools, but we need to know what we are getting into before I can give you my vote,” Ellington said. “I want to be sure that we have all of the liability situations figured out first.”
At the Attala County School Board meeting Monday night the board voted to hire Matt Steed as the resource officer, starting immediately.
Steed will be rotated between the four schools, but the county might look at adding another if this arrangement works out, according to Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail.
“The security that a resource officer can provide the school will be a big plus,” Nail said. “I can’t always have deputies at the schools, so he would be someone that can handle any problems that come up at the schools. He will be under the Attala County Sheriff’s Office, but will be employed by the school so he can enforce school policy.”
Steed will be responsible for overseeing the district crisis plan and security walkthroughs, along with leading security during school and all after school events.
