Barrow County schools are about to see almost twice as many deputies in the hallways. After county leaders signed a new tri‑party agreement, the number of school resource officers patrolling local campuses will jump from 12 deputies to 25, with the change set to kick in on July 1, 2026. Under the contract, the school district will cover officer pay during the academic year and pick up extra‑duty costs for after‑hours events.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, the agreement was signed by the Barrow County Board of Commissioners, the Board of Education and the sheriff’s office, replacing a 2017 arrangement. The sheriff’s office will keep operational control of the unit, and every assigned deputy must be a POST‑certified sworn law‑enforcement officer. The contract also bars officers from handling school discipline or truancy cases and requires ongoing training in student‑privacy rules, child‑abuse reporting and working with students who have disabilities.
What the agreement requires
The school system will reimburse the county for 100% of salaries and benefits paid to SROs during the 10‑month school year and will pay the sheriff’s office $60 per hour for extra‑duty shifts at athletic events, dances and graduations, according to Atlanta News First. Barrow County’s FY 2026 budget lists 25 SRO positions and shows roughly $2.66 million in total SRO division funding, with about $1.63 million set aside for personnel costs, per the county budget documents. The sheriff’s office will continue to select, train and assign deputies to campuses, while the county retains oversight of the unit, the budget notes.
Backstory and legal fallout
The expansion follows the deadly attack at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4, 2024, that killed two students and two teachers and injured several others, a tragedy that pushed school safety to the center of local debates, The Washington Post reported. In March 2026 a jury convicted the suspect’s father, Colin Gray, on multiple counts related to the attack. The accused shooter, Colt Gray, is scheduled for a status hearing on May 28 at the Barrow County courthouse, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Both the shooting and the prosecutions that followed have repeatedly shaped conversations about school funding and what a visible law‑enforcement presence on campus should look like.
Local reaction and next steps
County officials have framed the deal as a middle ground that boosts school safety without taking control away from the sheriff’s office. Barrow County spokesman Brian Stewart said the county remains committed to public‑safety funding, according to Atlanta News First. Community advocates and some families of the Apalachee victims have previously pressed for a more visible security presence on campuses, and the funding fight spurred a string of meetings and even legal challenges earlier this year, which Hoodline previously covered when the county’s commissioners faced court over an Open Meetings Act clash. The agreement takes effect July 1, and officials say planning for assignments and training will ramp up ahead of the 2026–27 school year.
