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Sarasota News Leader July 26, 2013 Page 28 KNIGHT'S ACTIONS Knight met with Superintendent Lori White on Feb. 20 "to make her aware of our decision to keep deputies only in schools in unincorporated areas of the county, and allow the cities to staff schools in their jurisdictions," Wendy Rose, the community affairs manager for the Sheriff's Office, told The Sarasota News Leader on July 24. "He sent her a formal letter on March 15" to that effect, Rose added. In an email to the News Leader, Rose also pointed out that Knight had met "with each affected police chief and their city manager Sheriff Tom Knight. Photo courtesy of the together (Sarasota, March 6; Venice, March Sheriff's Office 11) and all chiefs eagerly accepted the opportunity to fulfill their roles and be more closely White told the board members and audience connected to the youth of their community." that the Legislature did increase funding for school security for the next school year. The THE EXPENSE Sarasota County Schools will get roughly During the July 23 School Board meeting, $30,000 more, she added. "Every bit of that is Brown noted that relationships built between going to the SRO program, and it is not suffischool resource officers and students "go be- cient." yond what happens on the school grounds." When board member Caroline Zucker asked Because of the bonds created, she said, stuReyka about the "big difference in cost" for dents "may be more likely to contact the poSROs at the schools in Sarasota compared to lice if there's been a problem." the costs the School Board will cover in the She continued, "At a time when everyone is Cities of Venice and North Port, Reyka notlooking at school safety and security … it's ed that a supervisor would be overseeing the just so frustrating — [with] some people Sarasota SROs. saying we need more security on campuses "It is still dramatically high compared to other — that our law enforcement agencies have areas," Zucker responded. pulled back on us. We can't keep picking up The cost to the board for two SROs in Venice this cost." is $126,141. Reyka said the district would split Brown said she was hopeful the Florida Legisthat 50/50 with the city. lature might provide more funding assistance in the future, "but I don't know that that will North Port will provide four officers at a cost of $262,116.79. happen."