Lady Lake commissioners will meet in a special session Monday to discuss helping pay for a school safety officer to be placed at Villages Elementary of Lady Lake.
In the wake of numerous school shootings, the state has mandated that all school boards provide a school safety officer in all the schools by the beginning of the next school year.
That mandate has not been fully funded by the state.
“The state gave the Lake County School Board a grant, however the grant was not enough to cover all the costs,” said Lady Lake Town Manager Kris Kollgaard.
Lake County School Superintendent Diane Kornegay is asking the town to put an officer in the elementary school on Rolling Acres Road. The school board has offered to pay $40,000 toward the cost of the police officer. However, the average cost for an officer including vehicle, equipment and benefits tops $85,000 a year.
Lady Lake commissioners will meet at 5:15 p.m. Monday in a workshop session at Lady Lake Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will precede the regular commission meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m.
