Local SRO named Deputy of the Year for her impactful community engagement

If you have a student within the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District (SLVUSD), you may have seen Deputy April Skalland around campus.

As a School Resource Officer (SRO) for SLVUSD, Skalland is a familiar face to students, staff and parents alike. Whether helping direct traffic at the high school, monitoring the middle school lunch room, high-fiving elementary students in the bus line or connecting with kids at the charter school, Skalland has ingratiated herself to the community, and that presence has been acknowledged and rewarded.

In February, Skalland was named Deputy of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office (SCCSO) during an internal awards ceremony.

SROs have a fine line to walk in the schools they serve; the very students they help to support can also be investigated and charged with crimes, including drug use and distribution, theft, disorderly conduct and more. Finding a way to connect with students of all ages is an important part of an SRO’s role—those relationships help build a bridge between law enforcement and the district’s population—and can result in positive outcomes for all involved.

For her part, Skalland said that she is grateful for the warm reception she receives from students and staff alike, and that makes her job all the more worthwhile.

Skalland, who has been with the SCCSO for 25 years, has been walking the halls of SLV schools since 2019.

“I started as an SRO with the district in August of 2019; when Covid rolled around in 2020, I was temporarily reassigned to patrol. I returned to campus near the end of the 2021 school year and have been there since,” said Skalland, who is humbled by the acknowledgment of her work. “There are so many other deputies who do great work in our department, and I’m honored by the award.”

While SROs have been around since the 1950s (the first reported SRO was in Flint, Mich.), their omnipresence on school campuses quickly multiplied after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Additional violent incidents on school campuses, such as Sandy Hook and Parkland, led to a further uptick in the use of SROs nationwide.

According to SLVUSD staff, Skalland has all the right moves to make a huge impact on the students she serves.

Kim Ponza, principal of San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School, stated, “April Skalland brings so much to our school community. April provides SLE safety trainings and is present during safety drills to support the process and help to strengthen protocols. April regularly checks in with the principal to see if she can support students and families in any way. April is focused on making a positive connection with our SLE students. She visits campus during recesses to interact with our students building trust and positive rapport. April has organized and included SLE students in district-wide assemblies. The SLE principal, staff, students and families appreciate April’s support, commitment and kindness. She’s a beloved member of our school community.”

That school community has grown even stronger thanks to Skalland’s efforts: she created a Multicultural Club at the high school in 2024, and is hoping to partner with the middle school for a larger presence on the tri-campus.

“These kids have shown a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the club,” Skalland said. “We have anywhere between 20-30 students who come to our meetings, and they really delve into the meaning of various cultural celebrations. It’s not just the surface meanings of holidays and special events—they do research to make it as authentic as possible.” 

For the Saint Patrick’s Day celebration, the club members went beyond the gimmicky leprechaun facade of the holiday, learning about who St. Patrick was, and honoring the day’s history by making an Irish chocolate and potato cake.

“They had a blast, and we’re looking forward to celebrating Cesar Chavez Day (on March 31),” Skalland said.

As the parent of a high school student and college student, Skalland said that experience positioned her well for this job.

“Kids are going to make mistakes. When that happens, having open and direct communication with the students can make a big impact. My role is not to bring kids down—I don’t wake up each day wondering who I can bust. My role is to educate and support these kids so that they learn from their mistakes,” she said.

Kerry le Roux, SLV Charter School principal, shared Ponza’s enthusiasm for Deputy Skalland’s work.

“April is an outstanding School Resource Officer, with a presence across all the SLVUSD campuses she supports that gives students and staff a true sense of safety. This is because she bases her work on relationship- and trust-building with our students so that prevention, rather than consequences, is the outcome,” said le Roux. “It’s not that she shies away from the hard conversations: she is quick to respond to actual or potential illegal/criminal behavior. It’s that she has a rare combination of toughness and kindness that resonates with young people. She believes in them and wants the best for them. I’m so grateful for her partnership.”

The principal of Boulder Creek Elementary School, Gerri Fippin, echoed her colleagues’ words: “April goes above and beyond to support the schools in SLVUSD. She connects with students, supports them with out-of-school events, and always goes the extra mile to ensure everyone’s safety. SLVUSD is so lucky to have such a dedicated officer working with us.”

Claire Hackett, Dean of Students at SLV Middle School, added, “April has made an amazing impact at our schools through building connections with our students, staff and community. 

We are fortunate to have her as part of our SLVUSD team.”

In the end, Skalland said the staff and students of SLVUSD are a huge part of the reason she was given the award.

“The school district makes it so easy to work there, and they make it so welcoming. It’s like another family for me, and the kids are a lot of fun,” she said. “The best part of my job is watching these kids grow and develop into young adults. I love what I do, and I’m grateful to be part of this community.”