MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Superintendent of Shelby County Schools Dorsey Hopson asked for an additional $14 million to go toward the district.
Some parents said that money needed to go towards extra security officers, but that wasn’t something Hopson outlined in his plan.
One parent told WREG it seemed like fights break out at her daughter’s school all the time.
She said she would feel much safer if there were more security officers to protect students.
“When I drop my daughter off to school I want to make sure that she’s safe,” said one parent Tania Comb.
Comb said she was thinking about taking her daughter out of her school because of the fights.
A fight at Central High School was caught on camera, and parents said it was unacceptable.
“I think that they should have more security in the schools because I believe if they do, it will kind of get a cap on the fights, the bullying,” Comb stated.
Dorsey Hopson asked for $14 million to add 15 reading intervention teachers, guidance counselors, social workers and much more.
But not extra security officers.
“I think when the superintendent presented this budget to us, it was focusing more on prevention. Putting more guidance counselors and social workers in the schools so that we can address the issues before it gets out of hand,” said School Board member Stephanie Love.
Love admitted teachers need to be trained in conflict resolution and recognizing problems.
She said it might be time to have another meeting with resource officers in Shelby County Schools too.
“To make sure that things are documented if a potential problem does come into place and just making sure the principal, the teachers, the officers in the district, everybody’s on the same page,” she said.
Love said teachers spend the majority of their time in the classroom breaking up fights.
Parents said that was not okay either.