The Fort Wayne Community Schools board agreed Monday to spend more than $500,000 this year to continue the school resource officer program with the city police department.

Known as SROs, school resource officers are trained police officers assigned to work in eight middle schools during the academic year: Blackhawk, Jefferson, Kekionga, Lakeside, Lane, Memorial Park, Northwood and Portage.

Along with providing security for the schools, the officers develop relationships with students, help educators with conflict mediation, visit classrooms and address attendance and discipline issues, according to the city’s website.

The officers are also responsible for the elementary schools that feed into their assigned middle school, the website said, and they sometimes speak at the high schools.

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