Sycamore Township will station a sheriff's deputy at All Saints School as a school resource officer under a partnership the Board of Trustees approved Aug. 11.

The three trustees voted unanimously on two measures at the meeting, according to minutes included in the township's Sept. 1 agenda packet. The first modified the township's existing Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) contract to add a power-shift officer position. The second approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the private K-8 school on Montgomery Road. The MOU is subject to final sign-off by Law Director Lawrence Barbiere.

Township Administrator Greg Bickford told the board the arrangement would save about $6,000 compared to assigning individual details. He described "a proposed partnership with All Saints School to add a power shift officer to the Township's Hamilton County Sheriff's Office contract who would serve as a school resource officer during school hours and would serve the Township outside that timeframe for about 1,000 hours per year."

Under the MOU, All Saints will purchase eight-hour blocks of the officer's time and pay the actual cost. The township will bill the school monthly.

When classes are not in session, the officer shifts to general township duty. Bickford said the deputy could patrol the mall during holiday breaks and township parks in the summer.

HCSO Lt. Sovern reported at the same meeting that the officer for the position had already been selected, pending board approval. The hiring process was underway by at least July 21, when Sovern told trustees the posting would be completed by the end of that month.

All Saints School enrolled about 513 students in kindergarten through eighth grade as of early 2025, according to the school's website.

The board also promoted part-time firefighter Aaron Stephens to full-time Firefighter/EMT at the Aug. 11 meeting, subject to pre-employment screenings. No separate salary resolution was needed because full-time firefighter pay is set by the collective bargaining agreement, Bickford said. Fire Chief Rob Penny reported that 13 new part-time firefighters completed orientation the week before the meeting, with a 14th hire expected that same week.