The Diocese of Covington approached Fort Wright to request that the city sponsor a school resource officer. Fort Wright is considering a contract with the stipulation that St. Agnes would bear the entire operating cost.
The Diocese of Covington has approached other local cities about sponsoring a school resource officer, often called an SRO. Blessed Sacrament School asked that Fort Mitchell sponsor one, and discussions are ongoing.
Kenton County appointed School Resource Officers for Villa Madonna Academy and Holy Cross High School in late 2024. The Diocese will reimburse Kenton County for 100% of those costs.
St. Agnes School operates in Fort Wright and has a current enrollment of 356. They serve grades K-8 and “exists to provide excellence in Catholic education,” per their website. Ted Edgington, currently a school resource officer at Covington Catholic High School, represented the Diocese of Covington in the conversation with Fort Wright.
Fort Wright City Administrator Jill Cain Bailey spoke on her meeting with Edgington to the city council.
“St. Agnes School is looking for a school resource officer that would come to school every day for security,” Bailey said. “In order to do that, they have to attach to a police agency with police powers.”
Kentucky state legislature passed House Bill 580 in 2023, which created an avenue for private schools to request a local municipality sponsor their School Resource Officer. The municipality is entirely responsible for approving that request.
Fort Wright Police Department would need to hire an additional police officer to provide a school resource officer.
“It would cost the city around $86,000 for salary, uniform, radio, and more,” Bailey said. “The officer would be in a contract position, just serving the school.”
Around $70,000 of that would be annual costs, and the rest would be upfront costs. Fort Wright Mayor Dave Hatter offered the council his opinion on the proposal.
“I’m open to this, but at zero expense to the city,” Hatter said. “There is no way I could justify, in my mind, an expense for a private agency like this. What’s to stop Cane’s or Walmart from asking for security too?”
Fort Wright Police Chief Jonathan Colwell, who also attended the meeting with Edgington, said that St. Agnes is open to total reimbursement. According to Colwell, the school is considering temporarily adjusting tuition to offset the costs of the SRO.
The city is continuing the discussion with St. Agnes School and the Diocese of Covington. Fort Wright city attorney John S. Brooking will review the proposed contract and report his conclusions to the council at their next meeting.