Clarendon School District 2 will soon have a fourth school resource officer after Clarendon County Council approved a request made last week by Sheriff Tim Baxley.
"We need an additional position in the Sheriff's Office that would allow for a fourth school resource officer for District 2," said Baxley, who said a request came in late July from the district board about adding an officer to the three already on duty in the district's five schools.
With a newly formed Monarch Academy at the old Alcolu Elementary School, Baxley said such a measure is badly needed.
"The district has appropriated the money to cover this," said Baxley. "It doesn't come out of my budget. It's a complete reimbursement. We just have to have council's approval to add the position. This will give Manning four school resource officers. It's an important role for the Sheriff's Office to provide officers to the school district, and I've already got someone to fill the position, I'm just waiting on the approval."
Baxley said that Clarendon School Districts 1 and 3 each have one school resource officer. He said the situation works well in Summerton, but not as easily in Turbeville.
"While District 3 is satisfied with their officer, and we have a great relationship there, I am hopeful one day that they will have the ability to fund another officer," Baxley told council members. "Jonathan Coker is our deputy out there, and he's from that area and he does a good job. But that district has two schools that are the farthest apart from any other schools in our county. I hope we can find the funding one day to have one at Walker Gamble Elementary and another at the middle and high school so he wouldn't have to travel."
