FOXBURG — The Allegheny-Clarion Valley School Board has hired the district’s first two school police officers and will allow them to carry firearms.

Board members on Monday hired Scott Daly, a retired officer from the Upper St. Clair Township Police Department in Allegheny County, and Richard Baney, a part-time Emlenton officer, as school police officers at $18 an hour.

One will work in the elementary school and one will work in the high school, but their starting dates haven’t been determined, said Superintendent David McDeavitt.

The officers will be sworn in at the Clarion County Courthouse Nov. 27; however, they are unable to start working until they have received all necessary certifications and clearances, he said. The officers’ contracts run through June 30, 2019.

The district was awarded a two-year $37,500 Safe Schools Targeted School Police Officer grant and a one-year $25,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to pay the officers’ salaries.

“Combined, we were able to hire two school police officers and put one in each building,” McDeavitt said.

Hiring officers for the first time and making sure they are properly certified and have the required clearances has not been easy.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge because we want to make sure we do everything according to the law,” McDeavitt said.

The officers will be armed, but won’t have the authority to make arrests. They can hold suspects until state or Emlenton police arrive.

“They will be able to detain the person until state police or Emlenton police show up to file charges,” McDeavitt said. “We’re hoping to have them on campus to help the administration and keep all the students and staff safe.”

He said the officers’ employment is contingent on the district receiving grant money to cover their salaries, and it will be up to the school board to decide what to do if grant money becomes unavailable.