Second school police officer approved after four readings and a split vote

What happened

The School Committee adopted a School Resource Officer policy 3 votes to 1 on June 11, 2026, after four readings and months of public argument. The policy provides for a second, year-round officer based at Barrington Middle School covering the elementary schools, keeps a full-time officer at the high school, and gives the superintendent authority over hiring, oversight and annual evaluation alongside the police chief. The chair added a requirement that the officer be trained on interactions with LGBTQ+ students, students of colour and other groups that national data show have had disproportionately negative encounters with police.

Why it matters to families

Whether there is a police officer in a child's school building, and what that officer is allowed to do, changes what school feels like every day.

The evidence

The June 11, 2026 approved minutes record the training requirement the chair specified and a 3-1 vote approving the policy, with one member voting against and saying he was not convinced there is still a need for the officer. The January 8, 2026 minutes record students, the ACLU of Rhode Island and residents speaking against the policy and a 5-0 vote referring it to the Policy Advisory Committee, and describe the proposal for a year-round second officer at the middle school. The February 5, 2026 minutes record the third reading and further public comment on both sides. The August 6, 2026 agenda lists the policy and the police memorandum of understanding again.

The source