NEWTON FALLS — The Newton Falls Board of Education has approved an agreement to continue working with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, which will provide a school resource officer.

The board at its recent meeting approved a one-year contract effective July 1 for an SRO for the two school buildings at $79,657.

The district has worked with the sheriff’s office in past years in having one SRO when students are in the schools from late August to late May.

Officials said they wanted to continue with the protection service the district has received from the sheriff’s office.

While the village police department ended operations in December 2022, it recently was able to begin operating again July 1 with a full-time police chief and 20 part-time officers.

The school district has had a contract for an SRO with the sheriff’s office since June 2023.

In other business at the June meeting, Superintendent Andreas Johansson responded to concerns from parents about fewer coaches for the football program.

Johansson said in a statement as the person in charge of and responsible for all operational decisions, he wanted to clarify rumors, misinformation, and hearsay around the athletics program, and upcoming opportunities for the kids in terms of clubs, plays, and other extracurricular activities.

“In light of recent legislative proposals around school funding in Columbus, the district has adopted a fiscally cautious approach to programming and staffing levels. Several items in that bill are problematic, and additional language has been proposed to remove inside millage as a funding source for the district,” Johansson said.

He said if the inside millage is removed as a funding source, the district will lose approximately $1 million per year in operating revenue.

“On an already tight budget of $14 million, that would constitute a huge loss for Newton Falls,” Johansson said.

He said the threat of the projected loss this summer of some funding forced school officials to take a critical look at what is offered, and more specifically, how many positions are offered as supplemental contracts.

Johansson said all athletic programs are here to stay.

“We can no longer afford eight assistant coaches for a football team of 25 players,” he said.

Johansson said the district must reduce staffing (the main source of cost for the district) in all areas, and have already reduced a number of positions from the teaching and support staff earlier this year in order to right-size the district and remain fiscally solvent.

He said reduced staff realized savings of $290,000.

Johannson said at the May board meeting head coaches and some assistants have been hired for football, cross-country, boys soccer, volleyball and the supplemental program for the marching band.

He said coaches for golf, Tigerette and cheer have been identified and are expected to be approved at the July meeting.

Johansson said he encouraged residents to contact local representatives or senators to express their concerns around school funding for public schools.