Slow the SRO sprint in Cedar Rapids

Maybe as a schoolkid you were told to “no running in the halls!”

The Cedar Rapids School Board is sprinting toward the adoption of a new contract for school resource officers with the Cedar Rapids Police Department. If all goes according to plan, details of the contract will be released Friday, the board will vote on Monday and the Cedar Rapids City Council will take action at its Tuesday meeting.

Like those teachers back in the day, our message is: Slow down.

Speed should not be a feature in public policymaking, especially when it comes to student safety. The issue has been jolted to the forefront after a series of mass shootings that have brought unspeakable tragedy to schools and other public places.

The community needs time to absorb the provisions of the new contract. We think the School Board and City Council should hold a joint public meeting to discuss the contract. Board member Dexter Merschbrock has called for a for a work session to discuss the contract before the board moves to approve it. There’s no reason the School Board can’t pass a 30-day extension of the current contract to make time for further deliberation.

We’re not opposed to the new contract because, frankly, we haven’t seen it and don’t know what’s in it. The public should have more of a chance to weigh in on SROs than a few minutes at the microphone moments before the contract is approved but board members who don’t answer questions during public comment period.

We’ve been saying for a long time the local governmental entities, including the City Council and School Board, need to be more collaborative and less territorial. This is a moment to make that happen to the benefit of public understanding. The council and board could also take up other topics, such as how the school district’s facilities plan meshes with the city’s neighborhood development efforts.

District families also deserve a more robust discussion about school safety delayed action on the SRO contract can bring. It’s a discussion that should involve students, parents, the school community and their elected leaders. Sidestepping such a conversation at this moment is a mistake.

So stop running toward an approved contract and start opening up a meaningful dialogue on multiple issues. That’s what voters expect from elected officials.