The Columbus Community School District is one of the few districts in Louisa County without a School Resource Officer (SRO). They are hoping to change this by the beginning of next school year.

At their December 28 meeting, Columbus Junction city officials agreed to continue investigating financial support for an SRO for the schools. Superintendent for Columbus Schools, Jeff Maeder, was in attendance to propose a sharing agreement, which would include the school, the City of Columbus Junction, and Louisa County contributing to the cost. An initial estimate from Louisa County Chief Deputy, Brandon Marquardt, projects the annual cost of a Columbus SRO to be between $105,000 and $110,000.

Louisa-Muscatine and Wapello School Districts, both in Louisa County, already have established SRO positions. The benefits of having an officer in those schools on a regular basis were discussed at the meeting as well. While Maeder expressed his appreciation for the Columbus Junction Police Department and what they have done for his schools, he believes that a consistent SRO is a need looking ahead to the 2023-24 school year.

The council has not yet come to a decision on whether or not they will help fund an SRO, but will continue to review the proposed agreement in the coming weeks.