DALTON, Ga. — Whitfield County Schools officials are looking to double the number of school resource officers (SROs) in the next school year, and they want the Board of Commissioners to pick up part of the tab.

Mike Ewton, assistant superintendent for operations, briefed commissioners on the proposal at their work session Monday night.

“We currently have five SROs,” Ewton said. “They are stationed at the high schools, at the Career Academy and also at Crossroads (Academy). But they each have middle and elementary schools they are responsible for.”

Ewton said the system wants to add five SROs.

“We have five middle schools, and they would be stationed there,” he said.

Ewton said each of those new SROs would also be responsible for nearby elementary schools.

Under the agreement the school system has with the county and the sheriff’s office, the school system picks up 100 percent of the salary and overtime of the five SROs during the school year and also contributes 25 percent of that amount to cover their benefits, which will go up to 35 percent in the next fiscal year. The sheriff’s office pays their salaries during the rest of the year.

Ewton said the school system would like the county to pay 50 percent of the new SROs’ cost during the school year.

“We just can’t afford to add five SROs at once,” he said. “Being a community issue — safety in our schools and the surrounding areas — we hope to partner with the sheriff’s office and the county.”

The school system’s budget for the current fiscal year is $115.1 million. Officials are currently working on the budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which starts July 1.

“The current budget for the SROs is about $280,000,” Ewton said. “That includes overtime, football games, everything they do, as well as 35 percent for benefits. We are actually spending a little less than that. We are just buffering the budget, getting ready for that increase we have agreed on.”

Commissioners said they will ask County Administrator Mark Gibson and the finance department to look at the proposal. There seemed a consensus among commissioners that adding more SROs is a good idea, but some had concern about the cost.

“Any time you make a plan, you have to figure out how you are going to pay for it,” said Commissioner Roger Crossen. “But it is something that is needed.”

“If we add five more, I don’t see why we should be paying more than we pay for the other five,” said Commissioner Greg Jones. “That would be my concern.”

“If we increase the number of SROs, we are going to pay more,” said Commissioner Barry Robbins. “We just need to make sure that our share of the costs are equitable and then figure out a way to pay for it. But obviously, the way things are in the world today you can’t be too cautious when it comes to school safety.”

Commissioner Harold Brooker indicated he would be willing for the county to share more of the costs of new SROs.

“I just don’t want to hear that a child has been shot,” he said. “Anything we can do to save a child’s life is worth it.”