In a prepared press release, Bienville Parish School Board Superintendent William Wysinger said,

“Effective November 30, 2021, the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office will be terminating its intergovernmental agreement with the Bienville Parish School Board to provide School Resource Officers (SRO’s) at six (6) schools located in Bienville Parish.  Under the terms of the Agreement dated August 11, 2014, the School Board agreed to contribute approximately $133,000.00 per year to the cost of providing those officers.

The Sheriff’s Office has recently requested an increase in the amount to be contributed by the School Board.  In response, the School Board has offered to substantially increase the amount of its annual contribution to this Agreement.  Unfortunately, the amount proposed by the School Board [$85,000.00] has been rejected by the Sheriff’s Office.

Although the School Board has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the Sheriff’s Office and sincerely appreciates the many courtesies and services provided by the School Resource Officers to the students and staff of the Bienville Parish School System, due to budgetary constraints the School Board has been unable to reach an agreement to continue the relationship with the Sheriff’s Office.

At the present time, discussions are ongoing with other law enforcement agencies in Bienville Parish to provide these needed services to the School Board.  Hopefully, those security arrangements will be finalized in the very near future.”

Superintendent Wysinger said the number one priority is to keep students and faculty safe. 

As an alternative to the Sheriff’s Department providing School Resource Officers, Wysinger said the school board is working with Arcadia Police Department and the Ringgold Police Department to provide the School Resource Officers.  

Superintendent Wysinger said he was stunned by the Sheriff’s Office’s School Resource Officer Cost/Funding Proposal, a copy of which he provided to the Bienville Parish Journal. (see below)

 Wysinger expressed his opinion that the School Board should not be responsible for many of the items included on the third page of the proposal (marked N.R. for not responsible) such as health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, unemployment insurance, liability insurance, fuel, vehicle maintenance, vehicle lease, vehicle insurance, computer maintenance, uniforms, MiFi for computers, AT&T first net connectivity cell phone, and communications/portable radio accessories.  

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