STURGIS, S.D. – The elimination of the school resource officer at Summerset created some concern from constituents in the Meade County town.

The Meade County Sheriffs Department will cover Piedmont Valley Elementary and Stagebarn Middle School following the elimination of the position.

The School Board says this is the same staffing for SRO’s at Sturgis Elementary School and Sturgis Williams Middle School.

In a prepared statement released Wednesday, the Summerset police department stated they had no role in this decision and opposed ending the agreement.

The Summerset Police Department and City leadership say they were working toward a resolution prior to the decision being made.

The Summerset Police Department created the School Resource Officer position from the ground up beginning in 2018. Since that time, Summerset Police say their officers “have built meaningful relationships with students, faculty, and staff throughout the school. In addition to keeping our students safe, SROs have served as mentors, coaches, volunteers, and resources for students and educators.”

The statement whent on to say “while we respect the authority of the School Board to make this decision, we believe the presence of a full-time School Resource Officer provides meaningful value to the school community. We will miss the daily interaction and relationships that have been built between our officers and students.”