A plan to place a full time school resource officer at Port Neches-Groves High School is in the discussion phase but nothing is set in stone.

This position, if approved, would be a permanent position where the cost of salary and benefits split between the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District and the city of Port Neches.

Currently, there are approximately four Port Neches Police officers in rotation on a contract basis only at the school.

Nederland Independent School District and the city of Nederland have worked together to have a SRO on Nederland High School campus for about 20 years with the district paying 79 percent of the cost and the city paying 21 percent, Paul Lemoine, police chief for Port Neches, said.

Meanwhile, PNGISD began having an officer at their high school about 10 years ago. Then, some time after the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, the officers began walking through campuses as part of their regular patrol, he said.

The SRO officer would have different duties from those of the contract officer.

“We want someone with experience and maturity. They have to be a good writer and have good verbal communication skills,” Lemoine said. “They have to be able to interact not only with students but administrators and principals and hopefully take on a teaching component, go into some classrooms. For example, they could do a class on internet safety.”

The SRO would also be responsible for handling events at the school such as scheduling officers for sporting events and take pressure off the administration.

Lemoine presented information on the topic of SRO’s at the request of PNGISD Superintendent Mike Gonzales during a recently school board meeting.

Julie Gauthier, assistant superintendent for administrative services, said the district is always analyzing its school safety and security plan. February’s fatal school shooting in Florida likely prompted the district to seek information on the issue.

“Any time a school shooting happens there is a due diligence on the part of the district to go back and look at security,” Gauthier said. “It is because of that we started looking at our safety and security plan and we have a new administration on board and are looking at the best ways to serve students and staff.”

But taking an officer from the police force and placing him or her at the school will leave PNPD short an officer. That issue will have to be dealt with by the city.

The hiring of a permanent SRO isn’t set in stone yet.

“The city hasn’t talked about it yet. The initial part was getting the school district to approve it on their end and now I’m in the process of bringing it to the city,” Lemoine said. “Even if the school district approved the issue and the city doesn’t it’s not going to happen.”

Lemoine plans to bring the issue to city leaders during the budget process, which is set to being in June.