The Floyd County Board of Education unanimously approved a plan Monday to move forward with establishing a dedicated police department for Floyd County Schools.
Superintendent Glenn White said the proposal is intended to strengthen security across the school system.
The proposed department would be funded through the school system’s next Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST, request. Voters will ultimately decide whether to approve the renewal or not.
The current ESPLOST program is scheduled to expire in 2028, with Floyd County Schools planning to seek voter approval for another five-year collection period next year. School officials have identified ESPLOST revenue as the preferred funding source for the police department, rather than relying on property taxes or increasing the school system’s tax burden.
Under the current arrangement, the school system had been responsible for 75% of the cost of an SRO, while Floyd County covered the remaining 25% through revenue generated by school-zone speed cameras.
That arrangement changed this year after the county informed the school system it could no longer cover its share because speed-camera revenue had declined and county budgets were under increasing pressure.
Creating a school-system police department would give Floyd County Schools greater control over its campus law-enforcement operations and provide officers dedicated specifically to the school system.
Floyd County Schools serves approximately 9,000 students across 16 schools.
