Oconee County Commission And School Board Scheduled To Meet To Discuss Agreement On School Resource Officers

***Draft Contract Calls For Immediate Implementation***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education have called a joint meeting for 6 p.m. on Jan. 29 to discuss a $1.4 million Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to put school resource officers (SROs) in the county’s schools.

The MOU calls for Sheriff James Hale to employ up to 16 deputies “as quickly as is reasonably practicable given the qualifications required of SROs and their availability” in order to provide one SRO in each of the 12 Oconee County School District schools.

First Hearing By Oconee County School Board On Intent To Opt Out Of Floating Homestead Exemption Has Few Citizen Speakers

***Focus Is On Voter Approval Of Amendment***

Oconee County Schools Chief Financial Officer Peter Adams led off the first hearing on Thursday evening on the floating property tax exemption for homeowners, making the case to the Board that it should opt out of implementation of the exemption.

Adams took seven minutes for his presentation, telling the Board that financial obligations are continuing to increase annually and opting out allows the Board to maintain local control to best meet the needs of Oconee students.