Sussex County, Delaware – The Indian River Board of Education is debating whether to continue funding school resource officers (SROs) from the Georgetown, Millsboro, Selbyville, and Ocean View police departments for the 2025–2026 school year. The annual cost of $294,480 remains a significant challenge for the district. The district partially funded these officers in past years. Without continued support, the municipalities may have to pull their officers from schools or find alternative funding.
Currently, there are seven SROs, but if the funding lapses, only three Delaware State Police troopers will remain assigned, one at Indian River High School and two covering Sussex Central High and Middle Schools. These troopers will also respond to incidents across other schools in their areas. Every school will continue to have at least one armed constable responsible for campus security before, during, and after school hours. The constable program is budgeted at nearly $1.3 million for the upcoming year.
The district has also invested in physical security upgrades, such as secure entry vestibules, extra cameras, and weapons detection systems. Georgetown Police plan to proceed independently with Officer Ashley Melis as their school resource officer, despite an $82,000 funding gap from the district. Police Chief Ralph Holm expressed commitment to maintaining an SRO presence in local schools. Other departments are awaiting further budget discussions before deciding on their programs. Parents voiced concerns that losing familiar officers could impact school safety and community relationships. The district has yet to confirm if it will revisit funding decisions after upcoming budget votes.
