CHICAGO'S BOARD OF EDUCATION TODAY PASSES A RESOLUTION DIRECTING CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO END ITS USE OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

WDW NEWS REPORTER MATT MASTERSON JOINS US NOW WITH MORE NOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING HEATED DEBATE AMONG CPS PARENTS, STUDENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING SRO FROM SCHOOLS, INCLUDING MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON.

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?

SO, YEAH, THIS IS AN ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS.

BUT PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE REMOVAL SORROWS.

>> THEY SAY THE POLICE IN SCHOOLS DOESN'T ACTUALLY IMPROVE SAFETY AND INSTEAD CRIMINALIZES STUDENTS FOR ISSUES THAT COULD BE HANDLED BETTER BY EXISTING SCHOOL STAFF THAT THEY SAY THAT THESE OFFICERS ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE.

THE BOARD ITSELF IS POINTING TO OVERREPRESENTATION IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS OF COLOR WHO ARE SUSPENDED, IXPE OLD AND THERE ARE THE SUBJECT OF POLICE NOTIFICATIONS IN SCHOOLS WITHOUT SORROWS.

SO THE IDEA IS THAT INVESTING IN MORE HOLISTIC APPROACHES CAN LEAD TO BETTER SAFETY OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS AND ALSO LEAD TO AN END OF THE SO-CALLED SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE FOR SOME OF THE STUDENTS.

>> AND TALKING ABOUT THAT, HOW ABOUT INDIVIDUALS, INDIVIDUALS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DEBATE?

WHY ARE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT REMOVING CPS OFFICERS FROM ALL SCHOOL CAMPUSES?

PART OF IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

SOME PEOPLE DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT HAVING POLICE IN SCHOOLS DOES KEEP THEIR STUDENTS SAFER.

BUT IT'S ALSO A BIT ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL.

AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP A LOT TODAY DURING THE BOARD THE BOARD IN 2020 BEGAN ALLOWING LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCILS TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANTED TO KEEP OR REMOVE THEIR SRO'S.

SO NOW THAT ABILITY IS BEING TAKEN AWAY, THE BOARD IS DECIDING UNILATERALLY THAT THERE WILL BE NO SORROWS AND ANY HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE CITY.

>> SO MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES WHO DID SEE THIS IS A VALUE OF HAVING POLICE IN SCHOOLS BIG VOTED TO KEEP THEM IN PLACE.

DID THIS ALREADY.

NOW THE SORT OF FEELS LIKE THE RUG IS BEING PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THEM AND THEY DON'T HAVE A SAY IN ANYMORE.

>> AND HOW CPS SCHOOLS ARE CURRENTLY UTILIZING ROLES.

AND ARE THERE ANY OTHER TOOLS BESIDES ARROWS THAT OTHER SCHOOLS ARE IMPLEMENTING TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT?

YOU DID TALK ABOUT A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH.

THERE'S 57 AS HEROES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN.

39 HIGH SCHOOLS.

>> SINCE THE BOARD BEGAN ALLOWING SCHOOLS TO DECIDE ON THIS 14 SCHOOLS HAVE ALREADY MOVED ABOUT 20 OFFICERS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND SO THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE STARTED REINVESTING THAT MONEY AND SOCIAL WORKERS, COUNSELORS AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE OTHER SAFETY ASPECTS OF THEIR >> AND THERE'S ALSO FINANCIAL PIECE TO THIS EQUATION, RIGHT?

WHAT HAS A FINANCIAL IMPACT BEEN LIKE TO THOSE SCHOOLS THAT DID REMOVE S AROSE FROM THEIR PREMISES?

SO THE BOARD, THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS A 10.3 MILLION DOLLARS ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE ELIMINATED WHEN THIS GOES AWAY.

BUT THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE VOTED TO REMOVE SORROWS.

THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN A ROUGHLY 4 MILLION DOLLARS TO INVEST IN SOME OF THOSE FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF AND PROGRAMS FOCUS ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND OTHER HOLISTIC MEASURES.

AND YOU TALK, YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TIMELINE FOR CPS TO COME UP WITH THE NEW SAFETY PLAN.

SO THE RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD APPROVED TODAY PUT A TIMELINE ON THIS.

DIRECTS CPS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ TO COME UP