Sarasota schools report majority of state safety inspections clear; staff outline proposed state rule changes and training updates

Chief Sean O'Keefe, Safety and Security, told the Sarasota County School Board on March 4 that district and state safety inspections are largely favorable and that the district has taken steps to address certification and paperwork gaps ahead of state reviews.

The report to the board said the Florida Department of Education Office of Safe Schools inspects every public and charter school once every three years and that the district must file findings in the Florida Safe Schools assessment tool. “We had 79% of the schools that we've had inspected so far make it through without any violations or only minor paperwork violations,” O'Keefe said. He added that 56% of schools inspected to date had no violations at all.

Why it matters: The briefing traces compliance to state safety rules and outlines new or pending state-level changes that could affect campus access, personnel certification and parent notification. The district also described operational changes — increased security staffing, expanded training and a fingerprinting requirement — that will affect personnel and school operations.

District inspections and staffing details The district said it has completed all 57 required district compliance visits and worked directly with school administrators and school resource officers to correct deficiencies before state inspections. Michael Sanagata (district threat management coordinator) and Cindy Weitzel were cited as staff who helped distribute required certifications to schools.

O'Keefe said the state inspected 14 schools during the current quarter; nine of those had no deficiencies. The district reported interviews scheduled to fill two day-shift security vacancies and one night-shift vacancy in the security-aid program, which the district took over in July 2023.

Training and operational changes District staff described expanded training for school security personnel emphasizing de-escalation, situational awareness and an understanding of state and district policy. The district also noted use of safety officers ‘‘as eyes’’ for administrators during after-hours activities and for identifying potential House Bill 1473 compliance issues.

Proposed state and rule changes District staff briefed the board on multiple legislative proposals under consideration in Tallahassee. They described House Bill 1403 as creating a limited exemption window that would require compliance with House Bill 1473 from 30 minutes before school until 30 minutes after school, while allowing some campus gates and common areas to be unlocked during specified non-instructional times. The presentation characterized Senate Bill 1470 as similar but giving districts and the Office of Safe Schools greater discretion to define supervision hours and a state-led exemption list for certain career and technical education spaces.

Staff also discussed a rule referenced as 6A‑1.118 that would require certification that parents have been trained on FortifyFL when they acknowledge the student code of conduct; district staff said they will work with IT and HR to add the acknowledgment into the district's student information system.

Fingerprinting and reunification planning The district said FDLE-style fingerprinting requirements will require district personnel to be re-fingerprinted over a three-year cycle and that the fingerprint office is scheduling school-site visits to make the process convenient for staff. Staff also said they have worked with law enforcement and fire partners on reunification procedures and have engaged families from Parkland in staff training.

Acknowledgments and next steps Superintendent Conner and board members thanked safety staff for the work. The district noted the state-required inspection report will be presented to the board for approval at the board meeting on March 11 (no board action occurred at the March 4 work session). No formal motions or votes were taken during the briefing.

Ending: The board did not take action at the work session; staff said the inspection report will be on the March 11 agenda for formal approval.