York Region District School Board trustees voted unanimously on Tuesday to begin work with York Regional Police on restoring the School Resource Officer program.
The motion, introduced by Richmond Hill trustee Robert Kolosowski, directs staff to work with police and report back to the board’s Policy and By-law Standing Committee within six months.
Trustees included the board’s existing Youth Education Officer program in the motion. Those officers visit schools to deliver safety lessons and other educational programming, while school resource officers traditionally maintain an ongoing relationship with an assigned school or group of schools.
In an interview with Juno News, Kolosowski said community safety should be proactive and called for the School Resource Officer program to be restored immediately.
“School Resource Officers support prevention, education, and efforts to address the root causes of crime, while helping keep weapons and dangerous drugs out of our schools,” he said.
Kolosowski said that removing the program ended a consistent relationship between students, school staff, and police. He said it removed another trusted adult whom students could approach if they felt unsafe, were experiencing abuse, or were at risk of human trafficking.
He said the officers could educate students about traffic safety, impaired driving, substance abuse, consent, human trafficking and online safety.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” Kolosowski said. “Students deserve the resources to keep them safe.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Kolosowski expanded on those concerns, saying school resource officers could help keep weapons and drugs out of schools while addressing the root causes of crime.
“The role goes beyond presentations,” he told trustees. “They can also build relationships with students, establish trust, and help young people be more comfortable seeking help when they need it.”
Kolosowski also asked how police could work with schools to support students facing abuse or violence at home.
The York Region District School Board paused its School Resource Officer and Youth Education Officer programs in 2021, a decision that followed the board’s Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy due to concerns that a police presence negatively affected racialized students.
Several Ontario boards removed similar programs following Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. York later restored narrower police-led programs, but officers were no longer assigned to individual schools.
Since then, violence has risen sharply. Ministry of Education records show reported violent incidents increased by 77% between 2018–19 and 2023–24, reaching 4,424 incidents.
Unions continue to oppose restoring the programs. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario acknowledge rising violence but argues that schools need more educational assistants, mental-health services, and other frontline supports rather than police officers.
Tuesday’s vote in York Region does not immediately place officers back in schools. It means that staff and York Regional Police must now develop a plan and return to trustees with a report.