Wichita ? An escalating feud between the city and school district could mean the end of police officers in Wichita schools.

The fight is over who should pay for the 22 school resource officers, who have been in the district’s schools since the city proposed the idea 10 years ago.

School officials think the district should pay for half of the time the officers are in schools, while city officials think the schools should pay much more.

“If the city continues with that attitude, we are looking at the beginning of the end of SROs,” school board member Chip Gramke said.

Both sides agree the officers are needed. The specially trained officers not only enforce laws, but also provide mentoring and positive role models in 22 middle and high schools.

The city used to pay all the cost for the officers through state and federal grants. But as the grants ran out, the city absorbed more of the cost. The school district now pays half the salaries of 10 middle school resource officers.

Negotiations between the city and school board have been under way since April.

At a school board meeting Monday night, board member Connie Dietz said the city gave the district options of either paying $1.87 million for all 22 of the officers or paying half of the cost, $934,720. Both costs are a marked increase over the $284,150 the district now pays.

Supt. Winston Brooks said the district will have to find the money, even if it includes raising taxes or charging the city for use of the district’s buildings.

City Council member Bob Martz said Brooks’ talk of charging the city for using schools disappointed him.

Bobby Stout, executive director of the Wichita Crime Commission, said he’s outraged by what he called a petty argument.

“It’s all tax dollars,” said Stout, who is also a former Wichita deputy police chief. “We’re arguing now: Does it come out of the left pocket or the right pocket?”