The Milford Public Schools District is currently in the process of hiring ten armed security guards, who will be in place for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

One will be stationed at each of the district’s eight elementary schools, along with another at The Academy alternative high school and a supervisor who can fill in if someone calls out.

The full program is budgeted for approximately $576,000.

Legally, anybody hired for the job needs to be a former law enforcement officer in good standing with at least 10 years of experience, but Milford says it is increasing that requirement to 15 years for applicants.

“It’s about having a resource there to support what we need to identify threats and hazards, and support our emergency plans and our response plans, but more importantly to provide that preventative measure and a level of deterrence to reduce the possibility of anything happening,” said Jeff Nielsen, the director of safety and security for Milford Public Schools.

A parent and student group will assist in the hiring process, as will the Milford Police Department, which will also help provide training.

“They serve as role models. They’re going to engage with students every day and put a smile on these kids’ faces,” said Nielsen.

Milford currently has armed school resource officers at its middle and high schools; however, those are uniformed police employees, while these will be school district employees.

“We wanted to fill that gap, that vulnerability, with staff who could be on scene to act as liaisons with our first responders,” Nielsen said. “We’re putting them on as team members to be eyes and ears at our schools and to use that skill set that they have of being able to interact with people positively.”

While the district already has plans for how to respond to shooters and violent threats, Nielsen says these officers will also be able to help in situations like a suspicious person on campus, a missing student or a medical complaint that all lean on the guards’ skill sets, more than the gun.

“We all have a spare tire in our car, but we’re rarely going to use that spare tire, so I think having these people with what they bring to the table, they’re going to be on school grounds every day, they’re going to know who’s coming in, who’s going out, what cars belong, what people belong, and who doesn’t belong, who might be suspicious, that’s what they did for 20 years,” said Nielsen.

The public schools in nearby Ansonia, Orange, Monroe and Newton have similar programs, and Milford says it has been consulting with them on what works best.