At their meeting Monday evening, The Sandusky Community Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to expand the position of the district’s School Resource Officer. The decision came after Superintendent Kurt Dennis recommended that the district opt out of the Michigan Department of Education’s “31aa” school funding bill that was passed last month in the state legislature.
During his report to the board, Superintendent Dennis explained that, as currently written, the language attached to the 31aa grant creates a dangerous tradeoff: for roughly $125 per student (pending statewide participation), the district would be required to waive fundamental legal privileges — including attorney-client privilege, and certain rights under Michigan’s Open Meetings Act — whenever a “mass casualty event” occurs.
According to the superintendent, this waiver would apply “in perpetuity” — meaning not just for future incidents, but retroactively, exposing the district to enhanced civil and criminal liability. The district’s legal advisers, Thrun Law, also raised concerns over the definition of a “mass casualty event,” which could trigger investigations even in less catastrophic circumstances.
Superintendent Dennis emphasized that rejecting the funds will not impair current services. Plans to upgrade security cameras, expand school resource officer presence, and enhance mental health supports will continue — paid out of the district’s reserves.
He argued that protecting constitutional rights and legal confidentiality outweighs the short-term gain. “Schools need to be properly and fairly funded, not held hostage to unreasonable high-level government control,” Dennis stated. He expressed hope that the problematic language will be removed, noting that dozens of Michigan school districts have filed lawsuits in both state and federal court challenging the waiver requirement.
