DILLONVALE — Buckeye Local Schools will have some extra security this fall with more school resource officers patrolling the buildings.

During Monday’s regular school board meeting, officials entered into a contract agreement and memorandum of understanding with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Wells Township Police Department to add deputies and police officers to the district’s four buildings. Longtime SRO Deputy Rodney Roe will return as district SRO and another deputy will serve at Buckeye Local Jr./Sr. High School, while two more will be stationed at Buckeye South and West Elementary schools and a Wells Township police officer will serve at Buckeye North Elementary.

Superintendent Coy Sudvary said the one-year deals were ironed out with Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. and Wells Township Police Chief Sean Norman to add some more support in the school environment.

“We’ve been working with the sheriff’s office and Wells Township police to provide each building in the district with an SRO,” Sudvary said. “This will be the first time in the district that all of the buildings will have SRO’s. They have been great partners in the district and we look forward to working with the officers to provide safety and security to the students and staff at all Buckeye Local schools.”

He added that having the Wells Township police on hand at North was simple since the township now owns and occupies the building directly behind the school. Sudvary said one deputy will be a 12-month employee while the other SRO’s will have nine-month contracts.

“We just had a need,” he said. “As times become difficult in the world, having that extra layer of security is essential. We’re fortunate that we haven’t had major issues and we have been proactive and prepared in case there ever is one. We partnered with them to provide safety to the students and staff.”

In other matters, the board also ratified a negotiated agreement with the Buckeye Local Classroom Teachers Association. The two-year deal runs from Sept. 1, 2024, to Aug. 31, 2026, and benefits more than 100 teachers in the district. Sudvary said negotiations were positive and he was looking forward to a bright future ahead.

“It was approved by the teachers on Monday morning and ratified by the board at our meeting. It’s been a good process to work through the contract with the teachers and we both put in a lot of hours and work in negotiations,” he added. “I look forward to working with them over the next two years and our teachers’ salaries will be more competitive with the neighboring districts.”

Among other action, the board:

–Learned the district will collaborate with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and State Support Team 12 in the Each Child on Track program to identify and help students with individual education plans, or IEP’s, who may not be on track to graduate. Sudvary said staff will undergo training sessions and meet with officials while also refining and developing district policies, procedures and practices to increase the graduation rate, including those with disabilities. The district will also receive support to implement evidence-based interventions to improve the school climate, student attendance rates and literacy and math performance. The program works with students in grades 9-12 and runs until spring of 2026;

–Heard of ongoing and upcoming projects, including the classroom construction plan to build walls in the existing art room at BLJHS to create another classroom space. Graham Construction from Claysville, Pa., was selected to perform the work and Sudvary noted that South Elementary’s auditorium, hallways and lockers were being painted by Karras Painting LLC of Wheeling. Sudvary said similar work is being eyed for the other elementary schools with one building to be done each summer;

–Announced the next regular meeting would not be held until Aug. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the central office, while some future sessions would occur at the schools. The tentative schedule includes meetings at North in September, South in November, West in March and BLHS in May.