Schools Using Bogus Numbers To Justify Keeping Its Own Police Force
Schools Using Bogus Numbers To Justify Keeping Its Own Police Force
No Evidence for a 65 Percent Increase If Sheriff Takes Over
As it considers folding the school police into the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County School Board last heard that the change will cost taxpayers $3.9 million—a 65 percent increase.
That claim has a basic flaw, however. Those numbers are unsupported by actual budget numbers. They are not even close.
At the Oct. 24 board meeting, Sheriff MichelleCook and staff members presented a plan and detailed budget for transitioning to Sheriff's Office control of officers in the Clay County Schools. School board members had many questions, but most of the conversation revolved around the cost of the proposed changes.
The Sheriff's Office provided a detailed budget outlining the costs of all items needed to transition and operate school officers. This budget detailed every proposed cost with 22 categories broken out. The School District comparison budget had five categories.
Board member Erin Skipper called out the stark difference in the level of detail of the proposals and said the level of detail taxpayers want looks more like what the Sheriff's Office provided than what the School District provided.
Board member Beth Clark also noted that the School District's numbers were from a previous year. The sheriff's proposal projected numbers for next year, including increased operating costs due to inflation and increased pay and benefits costs for officers.
Susan Legutko is the assistant superintendent for business affairs for Clay County Schools. Legutko attended the workshop and was the person who prepared the School District police budget for comparison to the Sheriff's Office. After hearing the board members speak, Legutko defended her budget.
Legutko said the budget from the sheriff was $3.9 million more than what the School District is currently paying to run its police force. If true, this would be a 65 percent increase in costs. However, documents presented at the meeting do not support Legutko's claims.
Budgets are complicated, but the math here is pretty simple. If the Sheriff's Office takes over the operation of officers in all school districts, the cost per year will be $6.1 million. If they leave in place the agreements with the Green Cove and Orange Park police departments, the cost will be $5.6 million. The school district reports that their current costs are $4.8 million, albeit these old numbers don't consider increased pay and costs.
Simple subtraction will give you the actual proposed cost differences:
All schools: $6.1 million - $4.8 million= $1.2 million increase (25 percent)
All schools but Green Cove and Orange Park:
$5.6 million - $4.8 million= $800,000 increase (16 percent)
It is important to note that the cost increases pointed out by the Sheriff in her budget are increases that the School District will also face in the upcoming school year. The School District Police Department recently unionized and bargained for pay raises for their officers. The cost of goods (fuel, uniforms, ammunition) is rising for everyone. Several board members pointed out increased costs are likely regardless of which law enforcement agency runs the school police force.
There is no evidence to support Legutko's claims of a 65 percent increase in operating costs should the Sheriff take over the school officers.
The School Board is set to vote on the future of the School District Police Department during their regular meeting tomorrow.
