As thousands of students were welcomed back into the classroom this week — with the school year for both city and county school now under way — one of the many smiling faces they were likely greeted by was that of a school resource officer.

The 2024-2025 school year will be the first year that school resource officers will be located in every city and county school, according to Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell and Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin.

“We are really blessed to have SROs in all of our elementary schools and all of our high schools this year,” Limestone County Superintendent Randy Shearouse told The News Courier. “It’s not common across the United States for every school, especially elementary schools, to have a SRO.”

Shearouse highlighted the role these, mostly retired, law enforcement officials play inside of the schools, noting their undervalued side of the job that includes building connections with the youth on a personal level.

“They are very important — and not just for the safety of the kids, although that is very important — but because of the relationships they build with students,” Shearouse said. “Students see them as someone who can help them, and not someone they should be afraid of. They are the ones who communicate with students on their toughest days, and fortunately for us, we have some really great ones.”

SROs are sworn to not only protect the school in which they oversee, but they are sworn to serve the students, faculty and staff of their school during the obstacles a regular school day can bring.

From breaking up fights, checking bathrooms for any stragglers looking to skip classes, to even tying up the shoes of little ones in an elementary school, the life of a retired law enforcement official as an SRO is all about protecting and serving their community.

“SROs are a good chance for us to build a relationship with these young students,” Pressnell said. “I think it’s going to work great for all of us involved, and maybe one day some of these kids will want to be officers themselves.”

Such as SRO Johnny Campbell, who retired from the Athens Police Department about five years ago after nearly 25 years on duty. On Wednesday, Aug. 7, Campbell took his many years of experience to work at Athens Elementary as their designated school resource officer.

“I retired here and Athens is my home, that’s why I wanted to do this,” Campbell told The News Courier. “This is day one for me, so right now I’m just Johnny to the kids. I love kids, and I want to show them that they can talk to the police and we aren’t here to scare them.”

Athens Elementary School Principal Amanda Tedford said that Campbell was one of the first people at the door greeting kids as they came into school for their first day. She emphasized the importance of finally having a SRO in her school.

“It brings an added sense of security to know that he will be here to watch out for us every day,” Tedford said. “He’s an extra set of hands for when we need him, and it really brings peace to all of us to know that we have him this year.”