What are the benefits of having police officers in O’Fallon schools?

Another School Resource Officer is expected to be added in O’Fallon, creating another police position to rotate through school campuses.

Since the 1990s, a police patrolman has been assigned to O’Fallon Township High School as a resource officer. A second officer will now be assigned to District 203’s Milburn Campus, joining those in Districts 90 and 104, and the two private schools, St. Clare and First Baptist Academy.

“The SRO program is all about building relationships with students, staff and school families. In addition to providing a safe learning environment for all our students, our officers are on site, interacting with the students in positive ways to set an example for them of what a great job our officers do every day,” said Police Chief Kirk Brueggeman.

A resolution to create the second position will be up for adoption at the July 21 O’Fallon City Council meeting, and unanimously advanced after the public safety committee reviewed it on July 14.

The District 203 school board enters an annual contract with the police department as a cooperative effort. The new intergovernmental agreement has been updated to reflect the current payment schedule for the 2025-2026 school year.

The school board will pay 75% of the officer’s salary as well as $10,000 for an additional officer. That comes to $76,362.40 annually.

Brueggeman said the second resource officer is a re-assignment from the patrol division and is not a new position. Police officer Gerald Krug is at the Smiley campus for the second year and police officer Tom Poenistke will be at the Milburn campus and a liaison to the other school districts.

“It’s important to note that this is a re-allocation of one of our officers from the patrol division who will be working for the district,” Brueggeman said. “We’re extremely excited about adding a second officer to the schools.”

District 90 Superintendent Carrie Hruby said she was thrilled to participate in this new venture, and viewed it as having a positive impact on the schools.

“We are very grateful for our strong partnership with the city of O’Fallon and the O’Fallon Police Department. The addition of a second School Resource Officer is a reflection of O’Fallon’s commitment to ensuring safe, supportive, and connected school communities,” she said.

“This additional SRO position not only enhances the security of our campuses but also strengthens the positive, proactive relationships our students and staff have with law enforcement. Our partnership with OPD extends well beyond safety — it’s about mentorship, collaboration, and building trust between our schools and the broader community.”

Alderman Martha Stoffel, who previously served on the District 203 board, said she was very pleased to see this development.

“We received this recommendation often from parents and staff,” she said as a member of the public safety committee.

Brueggeman said the call volume dictated that a second resource officer would be beneficial.

He noted that there is no mandated set amount of time for the officer to spend at the schools, so he will make his presence known at all of the campuses.