Contracts to provide sworn law enforcement personnel as school resource officers on Yorba Linda, Placentia and Anaheim high school campuses in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District are in place for the start of the 2025-26 school year that begins on Aug. 26.
“An effective way to prevent violence on campus, reduce crime and at the same time foster trust and respect between law enforcement and students is to assign a law enforcement officer to our district’s high schools,” school officials said in reports to the district trustees.
Total cost to the district for four officers for a nine-month presence at Yorba Linda, Esperanza, El Dorado and Valencia high schools is not expected to exceed some $500,000, according to the reports from Assistant Superintendent Rene Gray and Student Services Director Baldwin Pedraza.
The officers assigned to the four high school campuses also will “provide support” to the district’s elementary, middle and specialized sites located in the respective cities, based on terms of the contracts that were approved on 5-0 votes at a recent trustee meeting.
Each contract runs about five pages and outlines duties of the officers that include acting as a “resource person for the schools, students, parents, teachers, school staff and others involved in the welfare and education of youth.”
Other duties include counseling students and parents, assisting schools in determining appropriate courses of action that involve violations of law on campuses and inspecting school facilities for reasonable security precautions, traffic patterns and vandalism deterrents.
And, cooperate with school authorities in finding resources to assist in helping at-risk students, give presentations to students on the administration of justice and the rights and responsibilities of students and parents and develop a friendly, non-threatening relationship with students.
Cost of the Yorba Linda High School officer is split on a 50-50 basis with the city and is not expected to exceed $137,865 for the district. The sheriff’s deputy also serves Yorba Linda and Travis Ranch middle schools and the Orange County School of Computer Science.
Elementary campuses served: Bryant Ranch, Fairmont, Glenknoll, Lakeview, Linda Vista, Mabel Paine, Rose Drive and Travis Ranch.
Cost of the two officers at El Dorado and Valencia high schools is split 79% with the district and 21% with Placentia, expected to not exceed $200,000 for the district. The officers also serve Kraemer, Tuffree and Valadez middle schools, El Camino, Buena Vista, Parkview and the district office.
Elementary campuses served: Brookhaven, George Key, Golden, Melrose, Morse, Ruby, Sierra Vista, Tynes, Van Buren and Wagner.
Cost of the officer at Esperanza High School is split on a 50-50 basis with Anaheim and isn’t expected to exceed $160,000 for the district. The officer also serves Glenview, Rio Vista and Woodsboro elementary schools.
Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.