Parsippany Proposes To Keep School Cops, Nix Security Director

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Township officials sent their proposal to the school district Monday for funding police officers in schools, featuring some modifications from prior years. The plan would eliminate the director of school security from the agreement to pay the salaries of school officers.

The board attorney for Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Schools received the proposal at 3:33 p.m. Monday and hasn't had time to review it, according to a district spokesperson.

Under the proposal from Mayor Michael Soriano and Township Council, there would be no changes to the school resource officer program's funding for the first year. For the second and third years, the board would bear 50 percent of the actual program cost for SROs, which includes school resource officer base salaries, allowances, uniform costs, training, equipment, overtime, longevity and fringe benefits.

For SLEO III officers, the Board of Education would pay $35 per hour for July 1 to June 30, 2022. The rate in the following years would be determined by ordinance.

“This has always been about how the program is funded between our civic partners,” Soriano said in a township press release. “This is a non-partisan proposal that all six of us — three republicans and three democrats — agree on. Our shared services make our township strong, and the more we collaborate equally, the better our whole community is.”

But the process of funding the officer program has incited a political feud that has crossed partisan lines. Although New Jersey school board members don't run or govern under political parties, Board President Frank Neglia is running for Township Council as a Republican. Soriano — a Democrat running for re-election as mayor — represents part of his opposition.

Neglia said in June that the township administration declined the traditional three-year deal and a proposed one-year deal.

"The attorney for the Board of Education was told that 'Mayor and Counci' rejected both the traditional three year deal as well as a proposed one year deal which would allow the administration to 'figure out' the 'costs' associated with those officers," Neglia said via a campaign statement. "However, the cost of this program has already been built into the Board's approved budget."

Each has accused the other of putting politics over the students. Township Council stepped in and told the public that Parsippany schools will have officers next school year. But the dispute stems from how it will get funded, the council said.

The township and administration now hope to find some common ground with the board on their proposed solution.

“We have sensitivities to the difficulties to the Board of Education’s budgeting process,” said Business Administrator Fred Carr. “Since their budget has already been established for the new fiscal year, it wouldn’t be fair to change the terms without allowing them the ability to adjust their planning, but sharing the true costs of this program 50/50 after this year is the right thing to do.”

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