2027-29 City of Chandler MSD SRO IGA

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE CITY OF CHANDLER AND THE MESA
SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 4

This Intergovernmental Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into this _1st__ day of
__July___, 2026, between the City of Chandler, Arizona, a municipal corporation, herein
referred to as (“City”), and the Mesa School District No. 4, a political subdivision of the State
of Arizona, herein referred to as the (“District”), to provide for the assignment of a School
Resource Officer (“SRO”) on the terms and conditions herein stated. (City and District are
referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”.)

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the governing bodies of the City and the District are mutually interested
in providing law enforcement education and security to school campuses; and

WHEREAS, the City and the District desire to enter into an agreement whereby the
City will provide a sworn, certified police officer to provide SRO services during the
2027-2029 school year; and

WHEREAS, the District has funding through a grant (“Grant”) from the Arizona
Department of Education School Safety Program (“Program”) to fund a SRO to be assigned
to Summit Academy (“Grant SRO") for the 2027-2029 school years; and

WHEREAS, the City is authorized to enter into intergovernmental agreements for
services or for the exercise of joint or common powers pursuant to A.R.S. § 11-951, et seq.;
and

WHEREAS, the District is authorized to enter into this Agreement pursuant to A.R.S.
88 15-342 and A.R.S. 88 11-951, et seq,

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and provisions contained in
this Agreement and other good and valuable consideration, the adequacy of which is
hereby acknowledged, the City and the District do now agree to cooperate with each other
in carrying out the above purposes, according to the School Safety Program Guidelines and
to that end to agree as follows:

1. THE CITY AGREES:

(a) For the 2027-2029 school year, to assign a total of one police officer who will
act as a School Resource Officer to the District School of Summit Academy.

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

The District shall provide buildings, facilities and related equipment
necessary for program implementation.

The SRO shall be under the operational control of the Chandler Police
Department according to Chandler Police General Orders.

The SRO shall meet all training requirements for law enforcement and
program certification established by Chandler Police Department, the Mesa
School District and the Arizona Department of Education.

Records of services provided and programs accomplished shall be
maintained by the Chandler Police Department and the District (as it pertains
to grant funding).

No district or site administrator shall interfere with the duties of the SRO as a
sworn law enforcement officer.

If the program is successful, the District will do everything possible to make
the School Resource Officer and the accompanying law enforcement
education a permanent part of the Summit Academy curriculum when grant
funding is no longer available.

THE ROLE OF A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER:

The successful implementation and continuation of the SRO program is primarily
dependent on the performance and realization of the SRO's various roles. The SRO
serves as a Mentor/Role Model, Teacher/Educator, Liaison and Law Enforcement
Officer.

A. Mentor or “Role Model”:

1. Prevention is the center or focus of the program. It is essential for an
SRO to be a positive role model at all times. Because the SRO is
constantly in view of students, he or she has the unique opportunity to
form lasting impressions and attitudes with an emphasis on building
positive relationships.

2. The SRO shall set an example by positively modeling how to handle
stress, resolve conflicts, and celebrate successes.

3. The SRO shall encourage responsibility by helping students think through
options and consequences of decisions.

2. The SRO collaborates with school personnel on school-wide safety

strategies (e.g. staff trainings, emergency response planning, needs
assessments, and prevention programs).

3. The SRO’s role as a Law Enforcement Officer should not be used for
intimidation or as part of the disciplinary process.

4. When enforcement action is taken, the SRO will consider Procedural
Justice Principals and the importance of positive preventative follow up
relationship building after an event for all parties involved.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The SRO's duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

A. LAW ENFORCEMENT:

1.

The SRO is first and foremost a law enforcement officer. As a law
enforcement officer, the SRO will act as a deterrent to crime both on the
school campus and in the surrounding community by uniformed
presence and the development of positive relationships with students,
faculty, and community members.

The SRO will perform police duties as assigned by the City and specified in
policy, while attempting to ensure that such activities do not dramatically
interfere with school operations and student curriculum schedules.

The SRO may encourage students to follow school policy. The SRO shall
not replace a staff member in enforcing school policies. The SRO will NOT
act as a school disciplinarian. Disciplining students is a school
responsibility. However, if the principal/school administration believes
that an incident is a violation of the law, they may contact the SRO and
request assistance. The SRO will then determine whether law
enforcement action is appropriate.

District and/or other school personnel will not interfere with the law
enforcement duties and responsibilities of the SRO. This does not
preclude the principal and/or other school administrative staff from
contacting the SRO for assistance relating to law enforcement matters.
However, the SRO will make the final determination whether law
enforcement action is appropriate.

particular individuals who may be a disruptive influence to the
school and/or students.

g. Collection of information:
1) Monthly statistics/activity log (SRO monthly stat-form)
2) Gang/group activity and identification (intelligence files)
3) Crimes, investigations, and arrests
B. SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY:
1. The SRO will assist administrators in formulating plans and strategies to
prevent and/or minimize dangerous situations, which might occur on

campus.

2. The SRO will work closely with the school administration to assist in
continual improvement of the School Safety Response Plan.

3. Effective school safety planning should begin with a site assessment or a
review of the physical facilities from the standpoint of preventing crime
though environmental design. The site assessment should identify key
issues, concerns, or problems faced by the school. The site or safety
assessment shall be conducted annually at a minimum.

4. The site assessment should include a review of the following:

a. Floor plan of the school buildings

b. Asite plan showing the campus boundaries and access points
c. Current crime prevention efforts

d. Current crisis prevention and response plans

e. Student discipline problems

f. Student activities and extracurricular programs

g. Health and medical services provided on campus

C. EDUCATION:

The SRO will act as a resource, consultant, and/or adjunct presenter to both
the staff and students in areas of Law Related Education (LRE).

1. Student Education:

a. At the school’s request, the SRO may provide instruction and other
information to students concerning law related topics. The SRO at
Summit Academy will follow the required Law Related Education
hours and standards as dictated by the Arizona School Safety
Program.

b. Methods of instruction may include:
1) Classroom instruction
2) Outside class activities
3) Individual/Group discussions
4) Question/Answer sessions. Evidence based _ interactive
teaching strategies, as identified through the Arizona
School Safety Program.

c. Suggested topics may include: conflict resolution, general law
enforcement information (search and seizure, criminal law,
juvenile law and procedures, shoplifting/theft, etc.), driver
education (traffic law, DUI awareness, mock accident
investigations, bicycle safety, etc.), family violence, relationships
and interpersonal communications, drug/alcohol education,
justice system/mock trials, citizenship and other LRE approved
programs.

2. Admin/Staff Education:

a. In-service training may include the following:

1) Drug and alcohol awareness (recognizing the signs and
symptoms-in students)

2) Gang awareness and education

1, Other records may not be included (i.e. discipline records, health records,
etc.).

2. Records must be kept separate from student educational records.
3. The records may only be used for law enforcement purposes.

C. The school may furnish educational records to the SRO under appropriate
circumstances. However, those records, and personally identifiable information
contained therein, do not lose their status as educational records and remain
subject to FERPA, including the disclosure provisions, while in the possession of
law enforcement (SRO).

D. In accordance with the policies and directives set forth by the Chandler Police
Department, the SRO will convey information relevant to the well-being of the
School, District, students, staff, etc. In turn, to the extent permitted by FERPA
the District or School will convey relevant information necessary for the SRO to
perform his/her assigned duties.

E. Some or all the schools where SROs are assigned have security cameras on the
campuses. SROs shall have access to the video from those cameras for
legitimate law enforcement or District purposes.

F. If the SROs are equipped with and use body-worn cameras (BWCs), the BWCs
shall only be activated when the SRO is involved in law enforcement action, or
when otherwise determined necessary by the SRO. In their use of BWCs, the
SROs shall comply with all Arizona laws and Chandler Police Department policies.
All footage resulting from the SROs use of BWC is the property of the Chandler
Police Department, and shall not be maintained by the District.

G. SROs have access to the District School Information System, Synergy. SROs shall
access Synergy only as to students at the school to which they are assigned, and

only for purposes related to their role as an SRO.

GRANT MANAGEMENT:

A. All funds, or grant money, shall be managed and dispersed by the District.
B. Finance and Budget

1. As supported by the Grant documents, the Mesa School District has been
awarded $161,109 to fund the “Safe Schools Program” for the 2027-2029

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7.

GENERAL PROVISIONS:

A.

Indemnification.

To the extent permitted by law, each party does hereby covenant and
agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other party, its
officers, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any and
all suits, actions, legal or administrative proceedings, claims, demands
or damages of any kind or nature relating to this agreement which,
are the result of any act or omission of the party, its officers,
employees, contractors, agents, and anyone acting under its direction
or control, whether intentional or negligent, in connection with or
incident to this agreement.

Failure of either party to comply with the terms of this Agreement
shall not provide the basis of any third party action against the District
or the City.

For purposes of workers’ compensation, an employee of a party to
this Agreement, who works under the jurisdiction or control of, or
who works within the jurisdictional boundaries of another party
pursuant to this specific intergovernmental agreement, is deemed to
be an employee of both the party who is his or her primary employer
and the party under whose jurisdiction or control or within whose
jurisdictional boundaries he is then working, as provided in A.R.S. 8
23-1022(D). The primary employer party of such employee shall be
solely liable for payment of workers’ compensation benefits for the
purposes of this section. Each party herein shall comply with the
provisions of A.R.S. § 23-1022(E) by posting the public notice required

B. Amendment. This Agreement may be modified in writing at any time by mutual

agreement of the parties hereto.

Budget. Each party shall establish and maintain its own budget according to its
established rules and policies and shall be responsible for financing its own
activities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement.

. Non-Discrimination. The parties to this Agreement shall comply with all
applicable provisions of state and federal non-discrimination laws and
regulations including, but not limited to, State Executive Order No. 2009-09,
which mandates that all persons, regardless of race, religion, sex, age, national
origin or political affiliation shall have equal access to employment opportunities
and all other federal and state employment and educational opportunity laws,

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shall not affect the validity or enforceability by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any
other provision hereof.

Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire understanding between
the parties with respect to the subjects hereof and supersedes all prior
negotiations and agreements. This Agreement may be amended only by an
instrument in writing signed by the parties. The waiver of any breach of this
Agreement shall not be deemed to amend this Agreement and shall not
constitute waiver of any other subsequent breach. Headings are for convenience
and shall not affect interpretation. This Agreement may be executed in
counterparts, and which together constitute a single instrument.

. Duration/Termination. The term of this Agreement is for a three (3) year period
commencing on July 1, 2026 and terminating on June 30, 2029. Funding and
staffing Amendments to the original Agreement authorized by the City may be
approved administratively by the Chandler City Manager or Police Chief (as the
designee) if said Amendment does not exceed ten percent of the original
contract or immediately preceding contract year. All other Amendments by the
City shall be approved by the City Council. All Amendments to this Agreement
must be approved by the District's Governing Board. The District may terminate
this Agreement annually if the District Governing Board determines not to fund
the services provided hereunder. Such determination shall be provided to the
City by written notice no later than ninety (90) days prior to the end of each fiscal
year. In addition, either party may notify the other party of its intent to
terminate the Agreement no later than 90 days prior to the Agreement's
termination date. This Agreement shall also terminate automatically in the event
funding is no longer available for the program described in this Agreement.

. E-Verify. Both Parties acknowledge that immigration laws require them to
register and participate with the E-Verify program (Employment Verification
Program administered by the United States Department of Homeland Security
and the Social Security Administration or any successor program) as they both
employ one or more employees in this state. Both Parties warrant that they
have registered with and participate with E-Verify. If either Party later
determines that the other non-compliant Party has not complied with E-Verify, it
will notify the non-compliant Party by certified mail of the determination and of
the right to appeal the determination. Failure to comply shall be deemed a
material breach of the agreement that is subject to penalties up to and including
termination of the agreement.

. Headings. Headings of this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not
affect the interpretation.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement the day and year first
above written.

CITY OF CHANDLER:

ATTEST:
MAYOR CITY CLERK
MESA SCHOOL DISTRICT:

ATTEST:

SAIS a

Dr. Matt stfoer, Superintendent

APPROVAL OF THE CHANDLER CITY ATTORNEY

| have reviewed the above-referenced proposed Intergovernmental Agreement
between the City of Chandler, Arizona and the Mesa School District No. 4 and declare this
Agreement to be in proper form and within the power and authority granted to the City of
Chandler under the laws of the State of Arizona.

Dated this day of , 2026.

Chandler City Attorney eu)
APPROVAL OF ATTORNEY FOR MESA SCHOOL DISTRICT

| have reviewed the above referenced proposed Intergovernmental Agreement
between the City of Chandler, Arizona and the Mesa School District No. 4 and declare this
Agreement to be in proper form and within the powers and authority granted to the Mesa
School District under the laws of the State of Arizona.

Dated this ay of Hida , 2026,

Lacy K ny |

i

Attorney for Mesa Schodl District

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