Schools Push Shared Resource Officer for Binghamton

Binghamton school leaders are asking City Council to approve a single school resource officer shared across city elementary schools.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Administration

Photograph of an empty brick elementary school entrance with double doors, a bare maple tree, and a paved walkway under overcast autumn light. — Binghamton school leaders are asking City Council to approve a shared school resource officer for city elementary schools, with a vote scheduled for November 18. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should Binghamton add a shared police officer to its elementary schools?

Binghamton school officials are pushing for a school resource officer employed by the Binghamton police department to rotate among city elementary schools. City Council has not yet authorized a shared officer, and a vote on the proposed school district contract is scheduled for November 18.

Why it matters

School leaders say threats and disruptions, including physical altercations at dismissal, unauthorized entry attempts and vehicle threats against staff, have occurred in district buildings more often than the public knows. The proposal would place an officer in Binghamton's elementary schools to address threats from outside the buildings.

The proposed arrangement would use one Binghamton police school resource officer rotating across several city elementary schools. City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed contract on November 18, and the source does not provide the officer's cost or funding source.

The players

Tonia Thompson

Superintendent of the Binghamton City School District, who told council members that school resource officers do not discipline students and that administrators handle discipline.

Richelle Acquisto

Principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Binghamton, who said threats occur in district buildings more often than people know and urged approval of the officer position.

Binghamton City Council

The city's legislative body, which must authorize the shared school resource officer and will vote on the proposed school district contract.

The details

Under the district plan, one officer would rotate between elementary campuses, with administrators handling discipline while the officer focuses on threats from outside the schools. Thomas Jefferson Elementary principal Richelle Acquisto urged approval, saying threats occur in district buildings more often than people realize.

Recent months: physical altercations, unauthorized entry attempts and parent vehicle threats were reported at district schools.
Previous council meeting: Superintendent Tonia Thompson explained the officer's role to lawmakers.
Latest council business meeting: Principal Acquisto urged approval of the proposal.
November 18: City Council votes on the proposed school district contract.

Administration Context

School resource officer programs, which place police officers inside K-12 schools, have long been debated over whether they improve safety or add enforcement exposure for students. Binghamton's plan is a shared model that spreads one officer across several elementary campuses, with administrators keeping disciplinary authority.

If approved, elementary students and staff in Binghamton would have a police officer rotating among several schools to respond to threats from outside the buildings. Parents would see a shared officer presence rather than a dedicated officer at each campus.

The takeaway

The November 18 council vote will decide whether Binghamton's elementary schools gain a shared police presence, and residents can track the outcome of that decision through the council's public meeting record.

What happens next

City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed school district contract on November 18, which will determine whether the shared school resource officer position is authorized.