The Washougal Police Department is going back to school.
The city of Washougal and Washougal School District have renewed their agreement to provide a school resource officer (SRO) in Washougal schools during the 2021-22 school year, with officer Kevin Wooldridge set to take on the role.
“We’ve had (an SRO for) 15 or 16 years, and we appreciate having one within our system,” the school district’s assistant superintendent, Aaron Hansen, said during the Washougal School Board’s Aug. 10 meeting. “We’re looking forward to working with officer Wooldridge and appreciate the partnership we have with the Washougal Police Department and Chief (Wendi) Steinbronn.”
Wooldridge was originally named to the SRO role for the 2020-21 school year, but the city and school district temporarily eliminated the position after the COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures throughout Washington state.
Wooldridge previously served as an SRO in Georgia and has completed basic and advanced training through the National Association of School Resource Officers.
“He’s excited to move into that role, and we think he’ll be a fantastic fit for our district,” Washougal Police Department Captain Zane Freschette told The Post-Record. “I think he really embraces what both our police department and (school) district are going for — a guiding, helpful, mentoring role versus an enforcement capacity, which frankly mirrors what we’re trying to do (throughout the) department.”