WORCESTER, Mass. - All school resource officers will be out of Worcester Public Schools by the end of the month and replaced by School Liaison Officers.
City Manager Ed Augustus recommended removing resource officers as part of an executive order recognizing institutional and structural racism as a public health crisis.
In March, the City Council adopted the resolution to remove them by December 31.
A school safety task force is recommending the district use a school liaison officer model.
Assistant City Manager Eric Batista says officers will be assigned to quadrants and be around the schools for entry and dismissal times.
“We want to put emphasis on training, but also put emphasis on the development of school climate. One of the important things about discipline in the schools is not just the relationship with an officer or having an SRO, it's much more than that. It’s the entire school climate,” Batista said.. “That's an emphasis we put in the document and want the administrator to focus on and the task force is in support and willing to work on that."
Right now, North High School and several others in the district use the school liaison officer model. The new model will be adjusted as needed throughout the school year.