FLORENCE, Ky. — When students walk the halls of Rector A. Jones Middle School, it's not unusual to see Deputy Scott Menefee exchanging fist bumps, high-fives and jokes with children between classes.
One student recently greeted him with a simple, familiar phrase: "Hey, bestie."
For Principal Stacy Park, moments like that explain why her nomination secured Menefee as the Kentucky Association of School Resource Officers' Region 4 School Resource Officer of the Year.
"He knows them," Park said. "He builds that relationship, and kids know to come to him."
The honor recognizes Menefee's work as the school's SRO and his efforts to create a safe environment while serving as a mentor, confidant and advocate for students.
For Menefee, who joined the Boone County Sheriff's Office three years ago after nearly two decades in law enforcement, the recognition came as a surprise.
"I didn't expect all this. I didn't ask for all of it," he said. "I'm blessed to have it, and I'm honored and humbled."
The award marks the culmination of a partnership that began three years ago when both Menefee and Park started their current roles at Jones Middle School.
WATCH: Boone County school resource officer's impact on students earns regional honor
Since then, the two have worked side-by-side, navigating everything from student discipline and school safety concerns to mental health challenges and community outreach.
"The first year we figured each other out," Park said. "He's been that person from a legal standpoint that I can go to as a principal for advice and to think through different situations together. We've worked together trying to figure out how we can support kids better and support our community better."
While SROs are often associated with security and emergency preparedness, both Menefee and Park say relationships are at the heart of the position.
"In society, we want the kids to want to come to us to help them, not to run away from us," Menefee said.
That philosophy shapes nearly every aspect of his day.
Before students arrive, Menefee makes rounds throughout the building, checking in with custodians, cafeteria workers, teachers and administrators. When students begin entering the school, he positions himself where he can greet them.
Sometimes, he said, a simple "good morning" can make a difference.
"You can tell some kids just need that," Menefee said. "Something's not going on that they need to go on in their life, so I'm letting them know I care and I'm here."
Park sees those interactions every day.
"He moves around the building fist bumping, shaking hands, high-fiving, talking to kids," she said. "Knowing their name is a huge piece in itself."
Those relationships often allow students to confide in him when they are struggling.
"He'll sit by and have sidebar conversations with kids about thoughts they're having or things they're thinking about," Park said. "He'll reach out to students that he knows are having problems so he can say, 'Hey, it'll be all right.' He is not always the policeman. Sometimes he's just that confidant for kids."
That role has become increasingly important as schools navigate mental health concerns, behavioral challenges and the lingering effects of social isolation among young people.
For Menefee, some of the most meaningful moments come long after the initial interaction.
"When you hear that confirmation that you're doing what you're supposed to do, that's pretty powerful," he said. "When somebody tells me that if it wasn't for something I said or did, things might have been different."
His influence extends beyond conversations in the hallway.
Park highlighted several initiatives Menefee has helped launch, including a "Caught Being Good" recognition program that rewards students for positive behavior and acts of kindness.
The program encourages teachers and administrators to identify students who are doing the right thing simply because it's the right thing to do.
"He shouts out when kids are doing good things," Park said. "The kids know he's a positive thing. Parents know he's a positive thing."
Students who are recognized may receive lunch with Menefee or small rewards, but the larger goal is to reinforce positive behavior.
"You can do the same thing," Menefee often tells students. "Help your classmate. Help somebody else."
Park said Menefee has also become a driving force behind several school safety initiatives.
He has worked to strengthen relationships with first responders throughout Florence, including fire departments, EMS personnel and law enforcement agencies. He routinely reviews school safety procedures and identifies potential vulnerabilities before they become problems.
"He's constantly fine-tuning the building and our safety procedures to make sure that we are at the utmost safest level at all times," Park said.
One of his latest projects involves exploring the possibility of bringing a facility dog to the school. Menefee spent more than a year researching the process, coordinating with district leaders and working through approval channels, Park said.
"He has been kind of a pioneer in many things that we're doing," she said.
Still, the security aspect of the job remains ever-present.
Shortly after wrapping up his interview with us, Menefee's demeanor instantly shifted when unexpected yelling erupted elsewhere in the building. It turned out to be a false alarm — a joyous cheering from students in the cafeteria.
One second he was joking with colleagues. The next, he was ready to respond.
"It is a whole change in his face," Park said. "He goes into that protector mode very easily."
Menefee said that readiness comes from extensive training. Kentucky requires specialized certification for school resource officers, and Boone County deputies participate in recurring training throughout the year.
"You pray that you never have to use it," he said. "But we try to be prepared."
The Boone County Sheriff's Office noted in its announcement that SROs serve roles far beyond traditional law enforcement duties, helping build trust while maintaining safety throughout schools. Deputy Menefee's commitment to those responsibilities, the agency said, made him a deserving recipient of the regional honor.
For Park, the award represents more than recognition for one deputy.
"I think it lets our community know what our SROs do," she said. "It's a celebration for Deputy Menefee, but it's also a celebration for every school and every SRO."
When Park learned that Menefee had won the award, she couldn't keep the news to herself. She gathered members of the school's leadership team in the cafeteria and secretly called Menefee down.
"We all surprised him," she said. "We were all very excited for him."
Menefee, characteristically humble, viewed the recognition differently.
"It means I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing," he said.
Three years after arriving at Jones Middle School, the veteran law enforcement officer still believes the most important part of his job isn't enforcing rules or responding to emergencies: it's the relationships.
"If I have that relationship and that base," he said, "Then they know I'm there to help."
For the hundreds of students who see him each day in the hallways, that's exactly who Deputy Scott Menefee has become — not just a school resource officer, but a trusted presence in one of the most formative years of their lives.
Menefee will formally receive the award June 9 at the annual Safe Schools and Communities Conference in Georgetown.
