DUNCAN, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina has hit a major milestone aimed at keeping kids safe at school, fulfilling one of Gov. Henry McMaster's priorities dating back to his early days in office.
At a press conference on Wednesday in Spartanburg County, McMaster joined state and local law enforcement and legislators to announce South Carolina has allocated enough money for every public school in the state to hire a full-time school resource officer.
"There's nothing better that you could allocate funding for than for safety and children, and with this, the state allows us to put it together," Duncan Police Chief Ben Cox said.
This year's state budget includes the final piece of money, an additional $29.4 million, needed to fund salaries, training, and equipment for at least one armed, certified SRO in all schools.
Since 2019, the number of schools in the state with one of these law enforcement officers on campus every day has skyrocketed from 406 to now, nearly 1,200.
"We're fortunate to have an administration here in South Carolina that looks out for the teachers and for law enforcement," South Carolina Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Mike Oliver said.
Just 119 of South Carolina's 1,283 schools lacked their own SRO at the start of this school year, but money is available for when they find the right hire.
"You can't just go and find somebody and say, 'Hey, here's some money, go be a school resource officer,'" said Sen. Shane Martin, R - Spartanburg, whom McMaster said was pivotal in ensuring this funding goal was met this year. "You've got to have the passion and the heart and the love for children and what you're doing, like Tommie standing behind me."
Cpl. Tommie Brooks, the SRO at Tyger River Elementary School in Spartanburg District Five, said he is glad every school will be able to have someone like him on campus daily.
His district already has those positions filled at all schools.
"Students can't learn and teachers can't teach in an unsafe environment," Brooks said.
The governor vows to keep pushing for school safety upgrades, and he's taking ideas.
"We want to listen to the teachers, the administrators, and parents and see what they say," McMaster said. "You're never finished with this. The world changes, technology changes. We have to always be listening and working hard."