Last Updated: 7:42 p.m. with updates from County Commission’s Monday evening meeting.
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito last week wrote Superintendent LaShakia Moore that county government will no longer pay $1.4 million a year for the school district’s School Resource Officer, ending a 50-50 cost-sharing agreement that’s been in place for a decade. The county is not required by law to share the district’s security costs.
Petito and Moore are meeting on Feb. 28. Petito’s letter was phrased in a way that makes it seem as if the county has already made its decision. It has not: commissioners are interested in having that discussion, but Commission Chairman Andy Dance said the 50-50 cost-sharing approach is no longer sustainable. Dance was previously a school board member. He understands the district’s budget and the pressures it’s under.
“I am writing to inform you of an important decision regarding our ongoing financial commitment to the school district,” Petito wrote Moore on Feb. 13 (the day before the sixth anniversary of the Parkland school massacre), summarizing the county’s support “through various legacy expenditures” over the years. “However, after careful review and consideration, we have concluded that we can no longer sustain annual legacy expenditures that are not directly aligned with our strategic plan or mandated by state statute, while at the same time achieving our responsibility as county government.”
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies provide security for the district. If the county were to end its contribution to the district’s security budget, it would add huge pressure on an already financially strapped district to think of replacing some of its deputies either with armed civilians or armed guards. Sheriff Rick Staly in the recent past has repeatedly said that he is not opposed to supplementing his ranks with additional security, such as armed civilians. But he has been opposed to any approach that would in any way replace some of the deputies.
School Board member Cheryl Massaro was not aware of the letter when told of it by a reporter this morning. Her initial reaction was simply: “Wow,” a reaction she repeated several times before addressing the consequences. “My first concern is financial. Let’s face facts. We’re not in the best financial situation we’ve been in the past. We’re already below our reserve of $6 million,” Massaro said. “So keeping that in mind, we’ve always feared this was a possibility. At any given time the county could make that decision, and then what are we going to do? SROs are wonderful, I love them, but they’re expensive.”
Petito wrote that the county prioritizes its money in line with its own goals. “Therefore, it is necessary for us to establish a transition plan to gradually transfer the financial responsibility for these legacy expenditures to the school district,” she wrote Moore. “We understand that this may pose challenges in the short term, but we are committed to working collaboratively with you and your team to ensure a smooth transition process.” Petito specified the amount in play, and requested a meeting with Moore “to discuss the specific details and timeline for transferring these expenditures to the school district.”
Petito wrote as if it were a done deal–as if the County Commission had voted, or agreed by consensus, to end the 50-50 split. It has not. The letter is based on a very brief, very general Dec. 18 County Commission workshop discussion on budgeting that could be interpreted different ways–as, indeed, different commissioners interpreted it differently–though there’s no question that the School Resource Officer commitment was very much part of the discussion, and that commissioners wanted it re-evaluated.
(Commission Chairman Andy Dance Monday evening confirmed backing Petito’s letter by consensus of the commission, though there remained some differences over interpretation of the letter. Petito clarified that the $1.4 million includes other county contributions to the district, such as to the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club. “I never in my mind thought we didn’t have consensus on that. We’ve never heard anybody object to us not looking at those expenses,” Dance said. “So I never in my mind Did I think there’d be a headline that questioned consensus on that item. But it is what it is. I just had to make sure tonight we clarify the air that we had consensus because as a board, we can’t have the administrator working without being in concert with us.”)
Commissioners were discussing the budget in broad brushes ahead of budget season, and deciding whether they want a reduction in the county’s tax rate next year–as Dance put it, “what do we want to put out there as far as tax relief and lower millage?” After commissioners discussed various budget priorities, Dance brought up the SRO spending: One of the elements to look at, he said, is “legacy expenses, which have to be again kind of stepped in because we’re affecting budgets and have to give people some advance notice if we’re going to start reducing some budgets we have. I think one of the largest ones is in our contribution to school resource officers. It is a big a big dollar, but we’ve we’ve continued that on, and our share of that has continued to grow. And I’m not sure if if the school district is getting additional monies from the state or not, but it’s a very important community program.”
“Now would be a good time to discuss with the school board, the sheriff,” Commissioner Greg Hansen said.
“We can start at least to understand better the constraints that the school district is under on any expenses with the resource deputies,” Dance said.
There was no discernible consensus from that discussion for direction to tell the district outright that the 50-50 split was over–only that it was time to re-evaluate it. (See the segment here.)
Dance in an interview today said Petito’s letter did not put the cart before the horse. “It’s just the avenue to alert the district that we need to sit down and have a discussion about these items,” Dance said. SRO’s are “an important part of the community, an important part of school safety, but there needs to be a transition plan I believe, and having come from the other side, having been part of both sides is unique, understanding from the school side that those contributions were helpful in meeting the needs of the district. But my obligation from the county side is looking at the statutory obligation and being a good partner and coming up with a new agreement.”
Commissioner Dave Sullivan interpreted the letter as Dance did. “There’s no decision,” Sullivan said. ““The Board of County Commissioners has not made a specific decision on doing away with the SRO funding. But we’re looking at it as: is that part of our strategic plan we’ve agreed to and must fund?” Sullivan said the county cannot continue paying for things outside its own, immediate priorities. Still, as far as he was concerned, “I am not going to pull the money back without knowing that the effort will go on, how it will be funded in a different manner.”
The district cannot legally retreat on security, within certain parameters (the one-armed-presence at every school), but the county can legally pull back its funding.
Commissioner Leann Pennington said the letter was written in a way that did not reflect the commission’s decision. “I had to go back and look through our meetings and workshops,” she said today. “I know we talked about these legacy expenses and such, but I don’t recall drilling down as to what the amounts were and I don’t recall consensus. I’m a little caught off guard by it.” Pennington said the same thing had happened with a discussion about potentially increasing the sales tax. The commission had discussed it, and the word “consensus” had even been part of the discussion, but she and another commissioner disputed whether that consensus existed for the letter Petito eventually sent local governments, soliciting support for such an increase. The letter and the proposal were withdrawn after some embarrassment for the county. (See: “Flagler County Uses False Information as It Asks Cities to Support Increase in Sales Tax” and “County’s Sales Tax Hike Rings Hollow as Attorney Defends Commissioner’s Unilateral Request for Delay.”)
In this case, there may be some disagreement over wording and interpretation, but not over the near certainty that what had been a settled question in previous years no longer is: the county, like Palm Coast, like the School Board, is under financial pressures, some of them self-inflicted–commissioners in the same discussion about the SROs were also intent on cutting back their tax rate–some of them not: insurance costs, for example, are rising, and the prospect of an increase in the homestead exemption has budget offices quaking. But that’s why the County Commission wanted to send out its alert to the district.
“In looking at the school district’s financial constrains as well as ours this is budget season, we both need to be discussing this so we can properly set our budget,” Dance said. “School district does theirs before ours, so they’re under a little bit more pressure.”
At Monday evening’s meeting of the County Commission, Dance put the matter of consensus to rest:
The school district has had SROs in its schools for decades, but the permanent assignment of at least one deputy at every school (two at each of the two high schools) followed the Parkland massacre. A new state law made the placement of at least one armed police officer or security officer in every school a requirement. It was up to districts to decide how they would make that work. Some districts took the less expensive security-guard approach. Some took the even less expensive approach of arming school staff under the so-called “guardian” program, though in neither case do armed personnel have nearly the level of training or law enforcement professionalism that sworn deputies or police officers do.
Sworn deputies can be prohibitively expensive, and have been getting more expensive fast. In 2006, the district was paying for nine deputies. The bill at the time: $222,500, including crossing guards. This year, the cost was $1.2 million for 14 deputies, including the additional deputy the district was required to add at its alternative school, but not the deputy at Imagine School at Town Center, the charter school, which is paid for separately. The district also received a contribution from palm Coast government for one of the deputies. The rest of the cost is picked up by the county. (See the 2023-24 contract.)
“This is going to be a hardship to say the least, to the district,” Massaro said. “We’re really going to have to come down to the nuts and bolts to save on everything to try to make up for that loss.” She added: “I’m sure the superintendent is not pleased with this notification because it’s going to put us all back on how we’re going to make this work.”
Michael J Cocchiola says
So, let me ask… if the county won’t fund the SROs, and the school budget can’t handle the full cost, who pays for those deputies after they are reassigned back to regular duty? The money has to be in the budget somewhere.
Somehow, I do not understand how the BOCC separates the schools from everything else in the budget and seems to consider school system security as “unsustainable”.
Let FCSO bear the burden for school security. Teachers, administrators, students and staff are Flagler County citizens and security for all is in the sheriff’s job description.
Denali says
It if the specific job no longer exists, why would they be retained on the payroll? A back door way of increasing the Staley goon squad?
Bill says
Would it be possible for members of the COPs program to assist in some way?
FlaglerLive says
They are not armed.
Takcleberry says
(SPECULATION) The Governor is passing out marching orders setting up the vacancy’s for his State Guard.
Duane says
The School Board is its own taxing authority.
If they need money to fund the cops they should tax accordingly.
They should not impose their costs onto another taxing authority like the county of cities.
FlaglerLive says
The school board has limited taxing authority. Most of its revenue is from the state, which sets the school property tax for the counties. The county may levy supplemental property or sales taxes through approved popular referendums. It successfully renewed its .5-penny sales surtax in 2022, to supplement various initiatives, including technology. In 2013, it attempted to add a quarter-mil property tax to pay for its security needs–extra cops in schools–and to restore 45 minutes a day to the high school and middle school day, lost two years before that to save $2 million in lost state funding. Voters rejected the referendum, 57-43.
Judith Michaud says
Why not gates at every entry and CCT around the schools ! Stop the perps before they even get near !
JP says
Because this won’t work and also will cost more money that Rick will not give up.
Skibum says
Schools are not hardened fortresses like Fort Knox. Gates and checkpoints are completely worthless when anyone desiring to enter could easily climb over an exterior fence, or just throw whatever they wanted over the school fence in a hidden area and walk through the gate to pick up the prohibited items afterward. You have to have law enforcement on school grounds to supplement any other security measures in place in today’s world so that they can respond immediately to an incident or reported threat. With all of the violence we continue to see on school campuses, as well as the threat of more school shootings, why in the world would anyone of sound mind be talking about taking school resource officers out of schools??? It makes absolutely NO SENSE whatsoever.
Skibum says
It would be not only the the height of irresponsibility, but completely INSANE in today’s environment to even consider doing away with having an armed sheriff’s deputy on each school campus in Flagler County! The deputies who are assigned as school resource officers provide a much higher and more professional level of school safety in addition to being able to have instantaneous law enforcement response to incidents occurring on school grounds. When elected officials continue to say that students are the schools’ “highest priority” and then minimize childrens’ lives by prioritizing money and balance sheets above childrens’ lives, it becomes necessary for voters to remove them from public office where they can no longer make boneheaded decisions based on the wrong priorities.
oldtimer says
It’s a sad statement on today’s world that we need armed security in our schools at all
Thomas Hutson says
School Contribution
Well, finally something coming from the Flagler County Manager “Petito” that makes sense. Only, it is the tip of the mountain Flagler County has gotten itself into every since Palm Coast became a “CITY.” Palm Coast is a city government with all the elements of a city except a “Palm Coast Police Department.” Palm Coast relies on an Interlocal Agreement with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for its law enforcement services. The main problem with this arrangement is the fact that the Flagler County Government has nothing to say about the “BUDGET” for the City of Palm Coast. Unlike Bunnell and Flagler Beach which are responsible for all of their law enforcement services. Under the current set up, the Sheriff and the City of Palm Coast agree to a set amount and Flagler County has nothing to say about it. If the County balks, they are accused of “Cutting Police” or Threatened with a law suit if his budget is not approved. This is not about cutting the Police its about the “BUDGET” and who should be paying for it. As Flagler County Sheriffs in the past have stated, “Palm Coast has “Hell-of-A” a deal.” Before anyone gets too upset, the Flagler County Jail Budget, Court Security and Sheriff’s Transport are not in question.
All one needs to do is look at the current figures provided by the County Sheriff. Where is the largest county population, where is the most crime occurring, and finally who is paying the most for that protection? Palm Coast or Flagler County?
This is the one area that most Palm Coast residents view as Flagler County Government taking most of their Ad Valorem Tax monies. Wrong, talk to your City Commission and have them explain the tax split. The question of the Flagler County School’s SRO program is between the School Board and the Flagler County Sheriff and “His” Interlocal Agreement with the School Board, not the County Government. I offer anyone a BET; this will be included into the Sheriff’s NEW BUDGET request/demand. This Interlocal would or should be with the City of Palm Coast if they had their own Police Department. The Flagler County School Board can seek out RFP’s, might be cheaper for all.
Hey! What a great idea, the City of Palm Coast creates its own Police Department, sets its own budget. One that is just for the City of Palm Coast, set by the Palm Coast City Commission and not subject to threats of a Law suit if the City Police Chief does not get everything he wants, just what he needs. Palm Coast already has a Fire Department, Street Department and other city departments, how about your own Palm Coast Police Department?
Again, let me state before anyone gets too upset, the Flagler County Jail Budget, Court Security and Sheriff’s Transport are not in question.
Tim says
Are you out of your mind ? Palm coast can’t manage what they have and you want to add a police department to it. Do you know how much that will cost tax payers to start a new police department and to keep it running ! NO ON palm coast Pelican .
Pam says
How about stop running for county commission on Flagler Live.
Skibum says
If you do a little research you would come to the inevitable conclusion that whenever a smaller town or city decided to get rid of having the county sheriff provide law enforcement services and start up their own police department instead, they either saw increased law enforcement expenses or were so terribly unfunded and unprepared for the necessary expenditures that they had to farm out many critical law enforcement related functions back to the sheriff anyway. Many communities think about providing their own law enforcement services, that is, until they look at it critically and crunch the numbers, and that’s when they come to the sobering reality that the sheriff’s office gives a better bang for the buck. Before you point to Bunnell as the standout local city with it’s own police department, if you were going to do that, you might be interessted in knowing that Bunnell has struggled for years with it’s own PD. Many officers including chiefs have left due to constant underfunding for officer salaries and necessary equipment, and the PD routinely asks for assistance from the sheriff’s office because there are only a couple of officers working at a time to provide law enforcement services. They also request the sheriff to assign his investigators for serious crimes because the city has zero resources to do that on their own in many cases.
Michelle Girven says
One of the county schools actually has a Flagler Beach address but has a Flagler deputy in it not a Flagler Beach police officer. Children from all over the county go to the schools in Palm Coast. Residents of the county should share the cost or each city needs it’s own schools. So I don’t see it as a Palm Coast budgeting problem but a Flagler County problem.
PeachesMcGee says
Our schools are safe. No need for any security.
The board can save the money and get themselves some nice things. Like votes.
Roy Longo says
You could also say our our schools are safe “because” of the SRO’s.
Jay Tomm says
This move is a direct result of the county needing $. The county tills are dropping fast with their push to make Flagler big.
The reality is everyone except the schools comes from the same pot of county money. The sheriff’s office took chunks of that to build their building, fund their new cops, buy a tacticool boat & armored vehicles.
The push to get big has require increasing pay of some or else they go to other counties.
Villein says
Well the County Administrator has decided anyway to defund the police. She needs the money for her own troops as pay for county employees is another can that just gets kicked down the road when it’s time to plan a budget.
More important than education or public safety is that taxes do not meet the state’s definition of a tax increase. It’s very misguided of the voters to prioritize the oath of no tax increases over funding a functioning government.
If the county and school board are sweating revenues now in a growing economy, what happens when there is a contraction? I don’t want to be around to find out. Get out while you still can! There are other places, other challenges, and better pay and cost of living for people who work for a living, which is a minority in Flagler County.
Michaeljohn says
Maybe the NRA can help cover the cost ? Seems only right as they are the main reason the country has become the Wild West again. All these guns and I’m guessing no one’s feeling safer, even with all the thoughts and prayers for the victims and their loved ones.
Double take says
Once again Heidi Petito, leaves the county commission having to “BACKPEDAL” when they find out she overstepped her bounds and left them embarrassed.
Amazing how the county can cry poverty and pull funds designated for our children’s safety and what does the county plan to do with the savings ? Buy more sand to secure the mansions on A1A ?
Fernando Melendez says
Exactly right! Just like the and I quote Mr. Dance’s statement after Petito’s letter to municipalities for some feed back on a tax increase proposal which was back peddled immediately after it was soundly rejected quote “Sloppy attempt at a half cent sale tax” back peddling is nothing new for this commission.
Gross says
Watched tonight and the board lied to protect her. Shame on them. Commissioner Pennington was genuinely confused and she should be. They never expressed consent to defund the program.
BLINDSPOTTING says
Gross: and that’s what they do best as I had mentioned going back
several months ago about them leaving Pennington out of the know,
Pennington needs a strong ally to be voted in this coming FCBOCC
elections who will finally kick all their butts, Petito still performing
her dog and pony shows and this is what she gets A’s for by Hansen
and Sullivan (and that faux sales tax increase ), enough is enough
she needs to go!
rapscallion says
keep up the great work getting the word out. three straight stories on channel six news orlando just tonight.
the SRO situation
utility tax hike
property flooding
STAN says
THIS IS ONE GOOD WAY TO RAISE MONEY FOR MORE TENNIS AND PICKLE COURTS !!! THE HELL WITH OUR KIDS.