The Calcasieu Parish School Board has taken another step towards enhancing security on school campuses in the district.

At the most recent board meeting, three cooperative endeavor agreements between municipalities and their local schools were approved unanimously.

Through the agreements, the towns of Iowa and Vinton and the city of Westlake will be providing security resource officers (SRO) to Calcasieu Parish schools for the 2023-24 school year.

The town of Iowa will provide one SRO to J.I. Watson Elementary. The Vinton Police Department will station one at Vinton Elementary.

The Westlake Police Department will have one SRO at Westwood Elementary, one at Western Heights Elementary and one at S.P. Arnett Middle.

CPSB Superintendent Dr. Shannon LaFargue said that partnering with local municipalities that have the manpower to provide law enforcement officers at CPSB schools is preferable.

“With the difficulty LLE (local law enforcement) agencies currently have with staffing officers, we pursued other options. In this case, third-party security, which is becoming more common throughout our communities.”

CPSB will enter more cooperative endeavor agreements as municipalities reveal that they are able to provide coverage, he said.

At the same meeting, the board also approved a $1.7 million one-year contact with Stratigos Dynamics, Inc., a Lake Charles-based company that provides services like security, remote monitoring, safety management, defense training and emergency response.

On May 1, CPSB entered into an agreement that served as a trial run with Stratigos, in which security was stationed at Moss Bluff Elementary, Gillis Elementary and LeBleu Settlement Elementary.

LaFargue said that Stratigos provided CPSB with dashboard analytics of reports and tours that were conducted on the campuses during the pilot program. Stratigos passed with flying colors.

“The pilot was very successful. The feedback we received from staff, students, and parents was very positive.”

CPSB schools with Stratigos security on campus include: Barbe Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, College Oaks Elementary., Combre-Fondel Elementary, Cypress Cove Elementary, DeQuincy Elementary, DeQuincy Middle School , DeQuincy Primary., Dolby Elementary, EK Key Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Frasch Elementary, Gillis Elementary, Henry Heights Elementary, Iowa Middle School., John J. Johnson II Elementary, LeBleu Settlement Elementary, Maplewood Elementary, Maplewood Middle School, M.J. Kaufman Elementary, Moss Bluff Elementary, Oak Park Elementary, Pearl Watson Elementary, Positive Connections., Prien Lake Elementary, Ralph Wilson Elementary, R.W. Vincent Elementary, St. John Elementary, T. H. Watkins Elementary, T.S. Cooley Elementary, Vincent Settlement Elementary, Vinton Middle School, W.T. Henning Elementary.

There will be one Stratigos officer on each campus.

The introduction of local SROs and Stratigos security on campus was done with the intention of filling the gaps that are not filled by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.

CPSB schools that are covered by CPSO are: Barbe High School, Bell City High School, College St. Vocational Center, Calcasieu Parish Alternative Site East, Calcasieu Parish Alternative Site West, DeQuincy High School, F.K. White Middle School, Iowa High School, LaGrange High School, Moss Bluff Middle, Oak Park Middle, Ray D. Molo Middle, Sam Houston High School, S.J. Welsh Middle, Starks High School, Sulphur Ninth Grade, Sulphur High School, Vinton High School, Washington-Marion High School, Westlake High School, Westlake Vocational Center and W.W. Lewis Middle.