With the passing of Senate Bill 1, it began a mandate to have a school resource officer on every school campus.

The bill, also known as the School Safety and Resiliency Act, was passed in 2019, and at that time, districts in Hardin County were not far off from the requirement, which needed to be met this school year.

Kim Adkins, Hardin County Schools director of student services, said although the law mandates the officers, it also said if sufficient funds or personnel are not available, this can be delayed if a request is approved by the school security marshal.

By around fall break, the district should have a total of 25 full-time SROs in the district, Adkins said. They currently have 23.

The district works with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabethtown Police Department and the Radcliff Police Department to get SROs. The sheriff’s office has the most SROs working in the county at 14 deputies.

EIS doubled the amount of SROs working in the district from two to four, who are all EPD officers.

Travis Gay, EIS director of student services, said SROs do add extra safety for students and staff, including being present at entrances and exits and ensuring they are secure. The officers also are visible among group activities like during lunch time.

What value the officers bring to safety, they also provide a positive relationship to mentor and support students, Gay said. They also teach the DARE program in the schools.

SROs provide a lot of education and connection to...

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