Retired Officers Will Be Security At Wayne Middle, High Schools: BOE

WAYNE, NJ — The Wayne Board of Education president has provided more details on plans for school security next year, as officials decided not to renew their contract with Wayne Police.

District officials said they had to close a $7.1 million deficit to balance next year's budget, which required cuts. The board said it was unable to come to an agreement with the township on cost-cutting measures for the School Resource Officer program.

A shared services agreement between the township and the board had assigned a designated police officer to Wayne's high schools and middle schools, along with a Detective Sergeant to supervise those officers.

Board officials said that going forward, they will instead hire retired police officers as security at the middle schools and high schools.

"This decision was driven by our commitment to fiscal responsibility, while maintaining the safety and security of all our students," reads a fact sheet provided by the board last week.

"We are confident they will provide the same level of protection and support as the current SROs," they continued.

The contract was set to run until July of 2030, with both the board and the township paying 50 percent of the cost of salaries and benefits for the School Resource Officers. Township Mayor Chris Vergano shared copies of the original 2021 agreement and an amended agreement for the public to review.

The officers serving in the elementary schools will be offered their same roles next year, according to a statement from the board. The board is also responsible for paying the hourly rates for these Class III Special Law Enforcement Officers (SLEOs), which increase annually.

In a statement to TAPinto Wayne, Vergano pointed out that the current School Resource Officers and SLEOs are sworn law enforcement officers, who are authorized to make arrests and have radios monitored by the police dispatch center.

"All of this protection will be lost with the proposed hiring by the board of security guards or retired officers who are not SLEO Class 3 law enforcement officers," he said.

Vergano also said that the board asked the township to lower the salaries of those Class III officers, despite the rate already being negotiated.

Board members also noted that the township had waived a $50,000. administrative fee for the program in the past, but have since decided to reinstate it and ask for retroactive payments.

This fee covers a portion of the town's expenses for items like radios, body-worn cameras, firearms qualifications, and training, Vergano said.

"It does not come close to covering the costs to the municipality and is in the negotiated approved contract," he told Patch.

The board introduced a tentative $197.8 million operating budget, which includes a 2 percent tax increase, at the March 20 meeting. For a home assessed at $200,000, that is a yearly increase of $245.

A final vote and public hearing on the budget are expected for May 1.