Feb. 15 marked National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day. As a fairly new recognition, started in 2022, many people don’t even know it exists. You might not be fully aware of what a School Resource Officer (SRO) actually does, or the critical role they play in school safety.

Guns often dominate the headlines when we talk about keeping students, teachers, and school staff safe, but other measures, like having trained SROs in our schools, need to be front and center in the conversation.

In the wake of the Annunciation School shooting last August, parents, administrators, and lawmakers are all rethinking school safety. Increasing statewide funding for SROs would make an immediate difference.

There’s a report that an Annunciation parishioner first felt a sense of safety that morning only after the first officer arrived, four minutes after shooting began. Four minutes can feel like a lifetime in a moment like that. Annunciation School did not have a dedicated SRO. In hindsight, it’s impossible not to wonder how much difference one might have made.

To me, it’s common sense to have SROs in both public and private schools across Minnesota. But it’s not that clear to everyone. In 2023, the Democrat-controlled Legislature passed a bill with overly restrictive language that limited an SRO’s ability to act in dangerous situations. As a result, school districts across the state responded by removing SROs or repositioning them outside school buildings.

The short-term impact was immediate. There were reports of increased student violence and even assaults on officers. One was sent to the hospital after being kicked in the head.

SROs are sworn law enforcement officers, but they’re so much more. They teach students about the law, serve as mentors, counselors, and sometimes confidants to young people still figuring things out. They’re essential not just to the school they serve, but to the entire community.

This year at the Capitol, we’ve seen new security measures put in place. Weapons screeners are now at the entrances to the State Capitol and Senate Building. Every visitor has to pass through them. I’ve also noticed more State Troopers and Capitol Security officers around the complex, sometimes with a squad car parked right outside. It’s a visible deterrent. Anyone thinking of doing harm sees the increased law enforcement presence and might decide otherwise.

I’m grateful that the governor and Democrat lawmakers take the safety of public officials so seriously. I hope they’ll extend that same priority to our children, teachers, and school staff.

It didn’t take long to add new security at the Capitol after last summer’s tragedy. Now it’s time to give our schools the same level of protection, and the personnel needed to stop threats before they harm the places where our kids are supposed to be learning.

Our children deserve the same safety we provide to elected officials.

— Rich Draheim represents District 22 in the Minnesota Senate