The County Commission on Wednesday voted to spend $1 million toward providing officers in every Hamilton County public school.
The appropriation will go along with $950,000 approved recently by the School Board toward the school safety goal.
Currently there are 32 School Resource Officers approved with 28 now hired. Sheriff Jim Hammond said four SROs "are in the pipeline" and will be ready by the time school reopens.
Supt. Justin Robertson said there currently are 19 School Safety Officers, and 28 more will be added with the new funding. He said the full contingent of SSOs should be ready by fall.
The new total will be 47 School Safety Officers and 32 School Resource Officers.
Dr. Robertson said in some cases schools are divided into two buildings, and there will be officers for each building.
Asked the difference in SROs and SSOs, Chief Deputy Austin Garrett said SSOs do not have authority to make arrests, "but there really is no difference when it gets right down to it other than they wear different uniforms and report to different people. Both of them are there to protect the safety of our children."
The $1 million will come from the county fund balance.