by The Barrow County Commission is being urged to authorize funding for School Resource Officers by the mother of a student who was killed at Apalachee High School. On Tuesday night, Breanna Schermerhorn spoke to the Barrow County School Board. Mason Schermerhorn, 14, was one of the four people slain in a school shooting last September, and she is his mother.
According to Schermerhorn, the threat was eliminated on September 4 by school resource officers rather than a news announcement or policy. Numerous lives were saved by trained campus police who arrived in a matter of seconds. They had an obligation under their POST certification, so they did more than just turn up. When our children are in danger, we have a responsibility to defend them, to step in, and to never give up.
Despite an exception for senior taxes, commissioners decided that SROs are not allowed to use county maintenance and operations funding. Schermerhorn doesn’t agree with the move.
After operating under a senior tax exemption for 25 years, what has changed to make it illegal now? She inquired. Finding out how many seniors are exempt from paying taxes and school taxes and figuring out how much county M&O tax those same seniors contribute would be a reasonable strategy if the commission was truly worried about county M&O taxes being used for SROs or educational-related expenses.
Schermerhorn is bringing legal action. Colt Gray, the accused gunman, is charged with several offenses, including murder in relation to the incident.
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