Contract Calls For Beaumont USD To Pay More Than $2.3 Million For 3 School Resource Officers

BEAUMONT, CA — Beaumont City Council is poised this week to approve a renewal agreement with the Beaumont Unified School District that will cost the district more than $2.3 million for three full-time school resource officers over a three-year period.

The total cost to the BUSD for the sworn Beaumont Police Department officers over the life of the agreement is $2,390,670, according to city documents. The charge works out to $796,890 per year of taxpayer money.

The outlay by the district to the city includes officers' salaries, benefits, and vehicle-related expenses.

The contract runs through June 30, 2029.

The BUSD had a three-year $2,027,443 agreement with Beaumont PD for three school resource officers that expired at the end of June. The SROs had been visible at Beaumont High School, Glen View High School, San Gorgonio Middle School, Mountain View Middle School and Summerwind Trails School.

The SRO program provides safety, mentorship, and engagement functions across Beaumont’s middle and high schools, according to city documents.

BUSD Board of Education was scheduled to review the agreement at its July 21 board meeting.

School districts across the state are paying cities and counties millions of dollars to place police officers and sheriff's deputies on campuses. For example, last year the Temecula Valley Unified School District agreed to a two-year $1,559,000 agreement for school resource officers. The contract, which runs through June 30, 2027, includes three and a half full-time sworn deputy SROs provided by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Related: California school districts spend millions on policing, with little scrutiny