COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced on Wednesday that final funding has been secured to place an armed, certified, full-time school resource officer in every public school in the state.
“We have to have parents be assured that school is safe,” McMaster said.
In 2018, McMaster prioritized the placement of full-time school resource officers in each of South Carolina’s 1,283 public schools. At that time, there were only 406 full-time SROs statewide, his office stated in a news release. Since then, the General Assembly has steadily increased funding to expand the program.
The management of the SRO program was transferred from the Department of Education to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) at the governor’s request to ensure greater coordination and efficiency.
At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, 1,106 schools had a full-time SRO, leaving 177 schools without coverage.
This year, the General Assembly appropriated $29.4 million to fund a full-time SRO in every remaining school.Since receiving funding in July, SCDPS immediately awarded funding for 58 new SRO positions.
Channel 9 went to Sullivan Middle School in Rock Hill after the governor’s announcement.
Noone was opposed to having the SROs in all public schools.
“I think that’s a good idea,” a mother said. “It just makes us feel a little safer knowing our kids are being taken care of and protected.”
Channel 9 reached out to the Rock Hill school district.
A spokesperson said there is already a school resource officer at all five of its middle and all four of its high schools.
Additionally, the district pays for an extra, armed security officer at those campuses, which is new to middle schools this year.
At its 14 elementary schools, there is an armed security officer paid for by a mix of local and state money.
“Additional state support would allow us to invest more in other critical area,” a district spokesperson said.
Parents Channel 9 spoke with said the additional security will be good and is necessary.
“It is,” a parent said. it shouldn’t be that way, unfortunately, but at the end of the day this is life now, so it’s a good idea.”
“I am proud to help ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to succeed, because in South Carolina, supporting our schools and law enforcement has always been a top priority,” said Sen. Shane Martin in a news release. “That’s why, when we saw the need to place a resource officer in every school, every senator supported it unanimously, and the House passed it as well. Now, the funding is there, we just need the right officers to fill the roles.”
On Aug. 5, the state Department of Public Safety released an Open Solicitation for the remaining 119 positions, which will be filled as school districts are able to staff them throughout the year.
VIDEO: Gov. McMaster has no timeline to implement limits on SNAP benefits
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
