DANVILLE — A fourth police officer will be stationed in Danville public schools next year.
The Danville School District 118 school board voted Wednesday to add the officer at South View Upper Elementary School.
Assistant Superintendent John Hart said the goal is to help younger students get to know police officers.
“We would just as soon them walk up to an officer and be able to tell them something going on with them or something that they’ve heard about,” Hart said.
During the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, many students across the country pushed districts to remove police officers from schools and spend money on mental health services instead.
Both of the nearby Champaign and Urbana school boards have been divided over the issue in recent years, arguing that SROs increase the disproportionate disciplining and arrests of Black students.
On Wednesday’s meeting, no one spoke against adding the SRO – except to request more.
“We could use more than four in our district. I’d like to see one that could float and be available at any elementary school,” said board member Shannon Schroeder.
Fellow member Alice Payne said it was a shame that South View needed an SRO but that it was a sign of the times.
The officer will go through six to nine months of training before joining South View Upper Elementary School.
Other officers are stationed at Danville High School, North Ridge Middle School and Kenneth D. Bailey Academy.
Emily Hays is a reporter for Illinois Public Media. Follow her on Twitter @amihatt.