Huntley School District 158 adds 2 campus resource officers

Huntley School District 158 will add two campus resource officers after the board approved agreements with the Algonquin and Lake in the Hills police departments Thursday.

District 158 spokesman Dan Armstrong said the officers will be housed at the middle schools of the district's Reed Road and Square Barn Road campuses. They will serve similar roles to that of the current school resource officer, a role that has existed at Huntley High School for almost 20 years, Armstrong said.

“We’ve seen nothing but positive benefits to having a full-time school resource officer at our Harmony Road Campus in the past two decades,” District 158 Superintendent Scott Rowe said in a statement. “Adding officers who will be assigned full time to our other two campuses will help improve the overall safety, security and well-being of students and staff there, as well.”

According to the agreements, the district must reimburse the village of Lake in the Hills – which is home to Chesak Elementary, Martin Elementary and Marlowe Middle schools – for 50 percent of the cost of the officer, and the village of Algonquin – which is home to Mackeben Elementary, Conley Elementary and Heineman Middle schools – for 66 percent.

This obligation may be reviewed or changed by mutual agreement on an annual basis.

The districts would cover any overtime costs incurred as the result of one of the officers attending school activities.

However, as employees of their respective villages and not District 158, officers would not receive any benefits the district offers its employees. A joint committee of police personnel and school officials will make the final decision in selecting the officers.

Desired qualifications for the position include training in gang and drug resistance curricula, experience in matters involving cultural diversity and public speaking skills.