District details school safety, mental‑health training, PBIS and new vape education program

Volusia County Schools staff used the March 11 workshop to review Guardrail 2 actions intended to create safe, supportive learning environments, covering multi‑tiered supports, PBIS, security upgrades, mental‑health training and a new educational response to student vaping.

Mike McAuliffe, executive director for Grama Assurance and Student Services, summarized the guardrail’s priorities: move from reactive to proactive behavior supports, strengthen safety protocols, equip staff to identify early mental‑health concerns and develop campus culture improvements. He introduced a team of coordinators who presented specific programs.

MTSS and behavioral supports: James Barringer (school psychological services) and MTSS specialist Yvonne Rushing outlined training for MTSS chairs and school psychologists, a behavior intervention guide and data‑driven tools including a failure report to flag students with failing grades. Barringer said more than 70 staff had been trained on MTSS processes and that school psychologists received specialized training to support eligibility determinations and parent consent processes.

PBIS and school culture: Staff reported increased PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) adoption across the district and cited several schools that received state model recognition. Officials said effective PBIS participation rose year over year and that the district uses PBIS data to inform tiered supports.

Safety and security measures: Captain Todd Smith, director of safety and security, listed operational and technology measures including Fortify Florida reporting, weapons‑detection canine program, integrated dispatching and partnerships with law enforcement. Smith said outside audits show Volusia performing well on safety metrics; in response to a board question he said the district’s audit result was roughly 90 percent compared with an average around 50 percent statewide.

Mental‑health training and teletherapy pilot: Jessica McIntyre, mental health coordinator, said the district is meeting state training expectations for youth awareness programs. She reported that about 81.36 percent of all staff had completed Youth Mental Health First Aid and that 86.47 percent of required job codes met the training threshold required by Department of Education guidance; the district expects to certify compliance in its annual memo to DOE. McIntyre also described an upcoming pilot with Gaggle for teletherapy and crisis monitoring to support student support management plans (SSMPs).

Vaping education in place of suspension: Student services staff described a new Canvas‑delivered vaping education course. Greg Pender and colleagues said the program is educationally focused: a first violation triggers the course rather than an automatic out‑of‑school suspension; repeated violations carry stricter disciplinary consequences. As of the presentation, staff reported 407 students had completed the vaping class. Officials said the program reduced out‑of‑school suspensions but increased in‑school interventions by design.

Restorative practices and culture walks: Student discipline staff described culture walks, increased bullying initiatives (monthly), and restorative practices to emphasize relationship building and a shift from exclusion toward accountable consequences.

What was not decided: The workshop was informational; no changes to code, discipline policy or new procurements were presented for board vote at the workshop.

Quotes in this article are direct statements from the named district staff at the March 11 workshop.