FOYIL, Okla. — Over the past several years, more schools have made the decision to add security to their campuses.
For schools in rural areas, the cost of that can be a struggle.
This week, Foyil Public Schools introduced Scotty Moree as its first school resource officer, who also doubles as a Rogers County Sheriff’s Deputy.
"Times are changing now, I mean we can’t sit there and say they’re not," said Moree. "I think in this day and age, every school needs one."
"I know today that this school system is better off than it was a week ago," said Sheriff Scott Walton.
Unfortunately, paying for a school resource officer can be a financial challenge for smaller schools.
Cherokee Nation recently made a donation to the Rogers County Sheriffs Office to help the school with the tab.
Council Member Keith Austin said right now, Foyil community is the furthest in the county from law enforcement.
"In Rogers County, there’s a few school districts that have similar restrictions where they’re not in incorporated areas. They don’t have police forces in those areas," said Austin.
That means the school has to rely on outlying police departments or the sheriff’s office if anything happens.
"Response time is gonna be the longest right here of any place," Austin said.
"We have four deputies on duty to cover 711 square miles," Walton said. "So, I think we can easily see our response time it may be great but it could be too late."
Moree, who also went to school at Foyil, feels his presence gives parents and kids more peace of mind.
"Parents don’t have to worry about their safety," Moree said. "They know when they drop them off they’re going to be safe."
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