Editor’s note: This story corrects the time period for which the district has not had an SRO officer. We regret the error.

NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (WKBN) – A handful of parents in Newton Falls say they are taking things into their own hands to protect their kids while in school.

The group showed up Thursday to “stand guard” outside the high school. They are upset the school no longer has a school resource officer, as of last week.

The Village has requested that a Trumbull County Sheriff’s deputy be stationed in the parking lot of the schools throughout the entire school day.

The superintendent and principal told the parents to move off school property but then agreed to talk with them.

At a school board meeting Wednesday, parents were told the officer’s contract was voided when the police department was disbanded. Now, there is confusion over who should pay moving forward.

“I think the kids are caught in the middle. It’s not about the school. It’s not about the city manager. It’s about the kids. It’s about the safety of the kids,” said Donny Placer, a parent in Newton Falls. “What these kids don’t realize is that bullets are real, dead’s dead. We don’t want that.”

Trumbull County sheriff’s deputies are patrolling campus with periodic walk-throughs, but parents say they want a permanent solution.