The Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a School Resource Officer agreement with Florence Unified School District on November 19, 2025. The intergovernmental agreement sparked debate over how deputies would respond if federal immigration agents approached school campuses.
School Resource Officer Services IGA Approved
The intergovernmental agreement runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with options to renew for four additional one-year terms.
The IGA authorizes three Pinal County Sheriff’s deputies to serve as school resource officers at district campuses. Budget appropriation was included in the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget with no general fund impact.
Resident Raises Immigration Enforcement Concerns
Roberto Reveles, a Democrat and former president of the ACLU of Arizona, questioned how school resource officers would respond if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents approached campuses. Reveles is also the founding president of Somos America, an immigrant rights coalition. He ran in the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 7 in July 2024.
He referenced a provision in the agreement citing Arizona Revised Statute 15-153.
The statute requires school districts to report crimes against persons or property to local law enforcement. It also mandates reporting incidents that potentially threaten the safety of students, teachers, administrators, or other school occupants.
Reveles asked what role the school resource officer would play if immigration agents threaten parents delivering students to school. He noted similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Arizona.
Sheriff Teeple Responds
Sheriff Ross Teeple characterized the concern as hypothetical. He told Reveles the situation has not occurred in Pinal County.
“With an open-ended question like that, there’s just way too many variables to say,” Teeple explained. He said his deputies would need to make decisions based on specific circumstances they encounter.
Teeple added that his agency works professionally with federal partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Teeple said if federal agents are acting in their official capacity, his deputies would be there protecting the community. He said that could include assisting the agents and keeping the scene secure.
School District Officials Address Policies
After Teeple’s response, Reveles asked to hear from school district representatives. Roger Biede, President of the Florence Unified School District Governing Board, told supervisors his board had discussed and approved the agreement.
Biede said the governing board needs school resource officers more than ever. He confirmed the board supports all the work they do.
Jill Broussard, Pinal County Superintendent of Schools, provided additional details about school policies and training. She explained that school resource officers receive specific training on handling various situations.
“They’re not allowed to just rush onto campus,” Broussard said of immigration agents. “They have to come into the front office and wait and let their intentions be known.”
She added that state policies are clear on this matter. “But the thought of ICE agents rushing onto our campuses into classrooms is something that our policy does not… our policies across the state do not support or allow,” she said. “So I hope that puts your mind at ease to an extent.”
Discussion Continues Over Racial Profiling and Safety
Reveles raised concerns about racial profiling in his follow-up comments. He stated that immigration agents are being given permission to racially profile members of the public, including students.
Sheriff Teeple responded to address what he called a distorted reading of the agreement. He noted that elected school board members and law enforcement officials had all reviewed the document.
Teeple said three officials—including School Board President Roger Biede, County Superintendent Jill Broussard, and himself—had all read the agreement. “There’s no implicit threat in there,” he said. “That’s a very distorted reading of it.”
Teeple argued that rejecting the agreement would make schools less safe. “And at the end of the day, what they are asking for is for you guys to make our school less safe while we deal with a hypothetical situation that hasn’t occurred in Pinal County,” he said. “And that’s a scary thing because our school needs a school resource officer there. It protects the school. It protects the students.”
Chairman Supports Long-Standing Resource Officer Program
Board Chairman Stephen Miller weighed in after the discussion concluded. He referenced his experience as an elected official spanning more than two decades.
“I will just say that over the 20 plus years I’ve been an elected official, resource officers have been highly sought after for many reasons,” Miller said. “Environment today is not the same as it was 15 years ago, but I think the positive outweighs the potential, either liability or threat at this time.”
Board Votes to Approve Agreement
Supervisor Jeff Serdy made the motion to approve the agenda item. Supervisor Rich Vitiello seconded the motion. The board voted unanimously to approve the School Resource Officer services agreement.
