Lehighton borough officials agree a school resource officer is needed for the safety of students in the school district, but that the school district should be responsible to pay all costs associated with the position.

The matter was debated at Monday’s borough council meeting after borough Manager Nicole Beckett said the borough received a letter from Lehighton Area School District Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver.

Beckett said the borough had previously agreed to partner with the district on the position of a school resource officer, with the district paying 100 percent of the cost of the position.

She said the district received a two-year grant, with the first year being funded at an estimated $60,000, and the next year at $30,000.

In the letter, Cleaver said that “the need for a school resource officer is more relevant now than ever before” due to the shooting that occurred in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14.

The district has proposed an 80/20 split in which the district would be responsible to pay 80 percent of the costs associated with the position, with the borough paying the other 20 percent.

Beckett said the district has proposed a joint partnership with the borough in an effort to secure a full-time school resource officer who would be on site all 180 days that the students are in session throughout the year.

The officer would be hired through the Lehighton Police Department.

Cleaver said in his letter, “There are many benefits not only to the school district, but also an equal benefit for the current borough police force.”

“The goal of this type of position is to provide a safe environment for all staff and students and allow our local police force to be present and develop a rapport with our students, which will translate into promoting a safe environment throughout the community,” Cleaver said. “The SRO position would be a most valuable resource for not only the school district, but the entire borough of Lehighton and the surrounding communities.”

Cleaver said the position costs should be shared with the borough because the officer would not be on site during the summer.

“However, with looking at this position from the district perspective, over the days between Sept. 5 through June 12, there are 20 days, not including holidays or weekend, the full-time officer would be able to complete work or tasks assigned by the police department,” he said. “In addition, over the summer months not including weekends or holidays, this individual would be available 57 days to serve the borough police department and the community.”

That would be 77 days the officer could serve with the Lehighton Police Department, Cleaver wrote.

“The strong relationship the district has with not only the borough police department, but the entire community and all its emergency personnel would only be stronger if the district and borough teamed together for the benefit of the entire Lehighton Educational Community.”

Councilman Joe Flickinger said he is totally in agreement that a school resource officer is needed, but that the borough should use an existing officer for the position rather than add a new officer to its roster.

As a mother with children who attend school in the district, Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky said, “I absolutely 100 percent want my children to be protected.”

Abelovsky noted that additional school resource officers may then be needed for each of the district’s facilities in the future.

In the region, Northern Lehigh and Pleasant Valley school districts currently have school resource officers.