April 27, 2026 — HOOVER, Ala. — The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) announced that it will present its 2026 Floyd Ledbetter National School Resource Officer of the Year Award to Deputy Darr Anderson, a school resource officer with the Canyon County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office. The award recognizes school resource officers (SROs) who have made specific and significant contributions to their local communities or school districts. SROs are carefully selected, specifically trained law enforcement officers assigned to work in schools.
NASRO will present this award and others Monday, June 29, during a ceremony as part of its annual National School Safety Conference in Reno, Nevada.
“Deputy Anderson’s commitment to building relationships with his students is evident,” said NASRO executive director Mo Canady. “Through his ‘Deputy Darr’s Donut Shop,’ he not only fundraises for student initiatives involving positive behavior reinforcement but also breaks down barriers to relationship building by providing students with a safe and welcoming environment to interact with law enforcement. He also regularly used funds raised through his initiative to pay for challenge coins that recognize students for good behavior and strengthen education around topics such as the dangers of drug use. In the 18 months since its inception, Deputy Darr’s Donut Shop has raised more than $20,000 for the Vallivue Middle School SRO Goodwill Fund. In addition to directly impacting students and school culture in a positive way, Deputy Anderson is also committed to school safety. Some of his fundraising goes toward safety initiatives, such as purchasing a bat for each classroom. He is also consistently known for improving school safety readiness, creating a culture where students and staff feel confident instead of afraid. Deputy Anderson clearly embodies the spirit that our SRO of the Year award seeks to honor.”
NASRO also announced that it will present its National Award of Valor for acts of courage and valor above and beyond what would normally be expected, to three people:
Officers Francisco Saucedo and Juan Ramirez serve as SROs with the Aurora (Colorado) Police Department. On Jan. 7, 2026, Officer Ramirez was notified that a student at Overland High School may have had a firearm. He and school staff members discreetly removed the student from class, separating him from his backpack, where a stolen Springfield 9mm pistol was recovered without incident. After the arrest, Officers Ramirez and Saucedo interviewed the student in Spanish, building trust and obtaining key information about the weapon and its connection to other crimes.
Kirk Moore, the principal at Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma, was shot in the leg while apprehending a school shooter on April 7, 2026. The 20-year-old male was a former student of the school who entered the front lobby and began threatening students and staff with a gun. Without a second thought, Principal Moore charged the assailant before tackling and disarming him. The shooter was found to be planning a “Columbine-style” attack.
The Chief Nicholas C. Derzis Safe Schools Leadership Award for contributions and dedication to an SRO program will go to Nicholas Caputo, coordinator of school safety and security for Lynchburg City Schools, Lynchburg, Virginia.
Exceptional Service Awards for one recipient in each of NASRO’s 10 regions who demonstrates continuous and sustained service to the school community above and beyond that normally expected of an SRO will go to:
- Master Police Officer Sean Hudson, Dalton Police Department, Georgia
- Michael Cenate, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Virginia
- Nicholas Denton, Prospect Park Police Department, Pennsylvania
- Matthew DiNicola, Chelsea Police Department, Massachusetts
- David Puma, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Illinois
- Angela Parker, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Tennessee
- Brian Stanglin, Tahlequah Police Department, Oklahoma
- Joseph Koerber, Cass County Sheriff's Department, North Dakota
- Michael Bates, Ashland Police Department, Oregon
- Cody Christensen, Twin Falls Police Department, Idaho
The Model SRO Agency Award for exemplifying – in training, policies and standards – the NASRO triad concept (which describes an SRO’s role as an informal counselor, public safety educator and law enforcement officer) and for demonstrating creative and innovative approaches to school-based policing, will go to:
- Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, Alabama
- Frederick Police Department, Colorado
- Elk City Police Department, Oklahoma
- Vestavia Hills Police Department, Alabama
- Everett Police Department, Washington
- Hamilton Township Police, Ohio
- Lake County Sheriff's Office, Illinois
- Olathe Police Department, Kansas
- Peters Township Police Department, Pennsylvania
- Pigeon Forge Police Department, Tennessee
- Wayne County Sheriff's Department, Indiana
The SRO Social Award, for effectively utilizing social media to promote the SRO position, school, and agency, will go to Andrew Fairbanks, an SRO with the Frederick (Colorado) Police Department.
The Bridge the Gap Award for activities that demonstrate a significant commitment to positive behavioral intervention services and at-risk youth will go to Officer Stephen Schleig of the Easton Area School District Police Department, Easton, Pennsylvania.
The Safety and Support Companion Award – for an SRO and the officer’s animal companion who, through their roles as public safety educator, mentor/informal counselor, and law enforcement officer, make a significant positive and impactful contribution to schools – will go to Officer Kenneth Wright of the Mansfield (Massachusetts) Police Department and his yellow Labrador retriever, Bentley.
The National Road Safety Foundation Innovation in the Classroom Award, for demonstrating the use of innovative methods in teaching traffic safety to teens will go to Officer Matt Vann of the Bellevue Police Department, Nebraska.
About the NASRO National School Safety Conference
NASRO’s 36th annual National School Safety Conference takes place June 28–July 2 at the Peppermill Casino and Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference provides opportunities for attendees to learn best practices for SRO and other school safety programs. It also provides networking opportunities to SROs and other law enforcement officers, as well as school security and safety officials, school board members, administrators and anyone interested in school safety. Complimentary credentials are available to working journalists who wish to cover the conference. Please contact Kaitlin Candelaria, using the information below, to reserve press credentials.
About NASRO
NASRO is a nonprofit organization for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators, and school security and safety professionals working as partners to protect students, school faculty and staff, and the schools they serve. NASRO is headquartered in Hoover, Alabama, and was established in 1991. For more information, visit www.nasro.org.
Media Contact:
Kaitlin Candelaria
[email protected]