Courtney Corbin prioritizes safety in the Oglethorpe County School System and hopes to be a positive influence in students’ lives.
“My goal is to be seen more as a trusted partner instead of just someone in a law enforcement uniform,” Corbin said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity and getting to work with the kids and everything.”
Corbin, a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, said she applied for a position as a school resource officer (SRO) after seeing an ad from the schools. She is the second SRO to cover Oglethorpe County Elementary and Middle Schools, replacing Robert Kline, who took a job outside the county earlier this year.
“Officer Corbin has been great,” OCMS principal Mack Baldwin said. “She’s a presence there and makes the kids and teachers feel safe in case anything goes down.”
The Sheriff’s Office and school system worked together to create the SRO positions — one for OCHS and one that splits time between OCES and OCMS — in 2024, and the SROs started in January.
Corbin said she attended several classes for SRO training, including ones for single officer response to threats, active shooter training, building clearing and a breaching class.
“I’m confident that I’ll be able to bring back some of the things from those trainings to work with administration on solidifying and continuing improving the school safety plans,” she said.
Baldwin said Corbin is also a “direct line” to the Sheriff’s Office and would take care of any law enforcement needs the schools may have.
“It’s just been nice to have her around as another layer of safety,” he said.
He added that SROs need to be able to connect with both parents and students and be aware of students’ behaviors.
“Parents are very appreciative that we finally have SROs,” he said. “It kind of eases their mind a little bit, as far as feeling good about leaving their kids at school. In case anything happens, there’s somebody there that can take care of things.”
Corbin said she is grateful to see a positive reaction from the community of parents and students who are thankful for her presence. She has formed connections with the school communities and said it comes down to “being present and consistent.”
“Whether that means greeting everyone as they come into the building every morning and talking to the students at recess, or helping teachers with things going on in the classrooms,” she said. “My main motivation was a desire to work with the kids.”