Deputies will be provided as-needed from April 4 until May 26, 2023
-->
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In just days, Palm Beach County deputies will begin patrolling public school campuses to keep students safe as the School District of Palm Beach County grapples with a shortage of school police officers.
School board members voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a contract with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to allow 20 deputies to cover and patrol schools.
WATCH SCHOOL BOARD MEETING:
-->
The Palm Beach County School District Police Department currently has more than 60 vacant positions, brought on, in part, by officers resigning, retiring, or moving to other agencies for higher pay.
Under the plan approved Wednesday, deputies will be provided to schools on an as-needed basis from April 4 until May 26, 2023.
"It's not an ideal situation. We'd much prefer to have our own force fully staffed," Superintendent Mike Burke said. "That's our goal and it continues to be our goal."
Burke added the school district currently has contracts with police agencies in West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach Gardens to provide law enforcement resources to school campuses.
Burke said those six agencies and PBSO are providing a total of 32 law enforcement officers to the school district.
"We have enough officers within Palm Beach County, our own force, to cover the schools. But we don't like getting this thin. We want to be prepared,"...
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (April 6, 2026) accused Congress of unleashing a “foreign-influenced misinformation campaign” against him and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma ahead ...