The district has had school resource officers since 1991, but currently they are only in 30 of the district’s 634 schools.
“Today’s resolution is fulfilling the board’s commitment to focus on alternative systems of safety that create that physical and emotional safety that we heard earlier shared by so many young people,” board member Mariela Estrada said during the meeting, according to KRCG.
The full video of the meeting is available on the Chicago Public Schools YouTube page.
Alderman Nicholas Sposato, of the Chicago City Council, termed the school board’s action as a “reckless idea.” He was not alone in criticism. At least two other council members voiced concerns, with one recommending the school board give principals an option to have security resource officers.
A former school board member, Dwayne Truss, said the move by the board of education was done without seeking public input while also noting that students feel safer with the presence of officers.