Margate commissioners will sign a new agreement with the School Board of Broward County that would keep Margate police officers in the city’s four public schools for the 2026-2027 school year. The agreement assigns one School Resource Officer to Atlantic West Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Margate Elementary and Margate Middle School. The term runs from Aug. 3, 2026 through June 1, 2027.
Under the proposed agreement, Broward Schools would reimburse the city $11,923.54 per officer each month. Each school accounts for $119,235.40 over the 10-month agreement, bringing the district’s total reimbursement to $476,941.60. The city would submit invoices monthly for services provided.
The agreement comes several months after uncertainty emerged over whether Broward Schools would continue using municipal police officers on campuses. In April, the district was considering a shift toward its own school police officers as contracts with cities came under scrutiny. Cost was a major factor. Municipal SROs cost the district about $119,000 per year, compared with roughly $98,500 for district-employed officers.
Margate has used its own police officers in local schools since 1987. In January 2025, the city moved forward with an amendment to its previous SRO agreement, which covered the same four schools. That amendment increased funding over the three-year agreement as costs rose.
The city and school district also maintained their partnership during summer school. A separate 2025 agreement provided one Margate SRO for 16 days of summer instruction at a cost of $9,562.72 to Broward Schools.
The new agreement states that SROs will perform law enforcement and school safety duties while remaining under the control of the City of Margate. Officers are not to serve as school disciplinarians. They also participate in school-based threat management teams and assist school administrators when potential safety threats arise.
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